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CCMPILED   BY 


REV.  WALTER  P.  DOE. 


Hatfield,  Shepard,  Park,  Finney,  Barnes,  McIlyaine,  McCosh, 

Beecher,  Stowe,  Murray,   Cuyler,   Taylor,   Hall, 

Talmadge,  Spurgeon,  Moody,  and  others. 


PROVIDENCE,  E.  I. 
A.  CRAWFORD  GREENE,   BOOK  AND  JOB  PRINTER,  RAILROAD  HALL. 

ISTG. 


Entered  accordino:  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1876,  toy  Walter  P.  Doe, 
in  tlie  Office  of  tlieLlbrarlan  of  Congress,  at  Wasliington. 


PREFACE. 


THE  OBJECT   STATED, 


This  Yolume  is  not  designed  to  be  a  substitute  for^ 
or  to  interfere  with  the  Yahiable  teachings  of  the 
Professors  of  Homiletics,  in  our  Theological  Semi- 
naries, on  correct  principles  of  sermonizing. 

But  its  aim  is  rather  to  supplement  their  instruc- 
tions, and  render  the  pulpit  more  effective  in  promoting 
genuine  and  continuous  revivals  of  religion,  so  far  as 
may  be,  mainly,  fi^om  the  teachings  of  some  eminent 
ministers,  who  have  been  gTcatly  prospered  in  the 
practical  business  of  preaching  the  Gospel,  effectively^ 
themselves. 

It  is  thought  that  theological  students,  and  young 
ministers  especially,  must  strongly  desire  to  know  the 
opinions  and  methods  of  such  men  as  God  has  greatly 
blessed  in  preaching  effectively,  in  promoting  the 
sanctification  of  Christians  and  the  conversion  of 
sinners.     For  it  is  reasonable  that  they  should  wish 


lY  PKEFACE. 

to  know  liow  good  theories  succeed,  when  tested  by 
experience  and  practical  results. 

The  compiler  of  the  following  treatises  by  devoted, 
honored  and  successful  ministers  of  Christ,  has  been 
long  deeply  impressed,  by  experience  and  observa- 
tion, that  it  is  both  eminently  desirable  and  prac- 
ticable, that  the  Gospel  should  be  preached  much 
more  effectively  than  it  commonly  is,  has  collected 
and  arranged  these  articles  in  the  hope  of  stimulating 
and  encouraging  the  younger  ministry  especially,  to 
preach  with  much  greater  pungency  and  power,  so  as 
to  glorify  God  in  the  salvation  of  a  much  greater 
number  of  precious  souls. 

Having  been  under  the  instruction  of  several  of 
these  authors,  in  college  and  seminary  life,  and  fre- 
quently attended  upon  the  ministry  of  others,  in  the 
Pastoral  ofHce,  in  periods  of  extraordinary  religious 
refreshings,  whose  preaching,  in  point  of  marvelous 
success  in  genuine  and  protracted  revivals  of  rehgion, 
have  probably  surpassed  almost  any  others  in  modern, 
times,  the  blessed  fruits  of  which  have  been  witnessed 
in  the  activity,  devotion  and  perseverance  of  the  con- 
verts, as  pillars  and  earnest  supporters  of  the 
churches,  for  many  years  past,  the  v/riter  early  began 
the  collection  of  these  papers,  for  the  single  purpose 
of  rendering  his  own  personal  mmistry  as  directly 
successful  as  practicable,  by  the  blessing  of  God, 
with  no  design  of  publication.     But  the  modern  in- 


PREFACE.  V 

creasing  interest  in  revivals,  and  the  means  of  their 
promotion,  lias  led  him,  after  praj^erful  consideration, 
to  submit  tliese  (as  seems  to  him)  yery  forcible  and 
practical  reflections,  to  the  attention  of  such  persons 
as  may  be  interested  in  special  refreshings  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord,  and  the  theories  suggested  in 
these  brief  and  pithy  treatises. 

And  he  is  happy  to  testify  that  the  correctness  of 
these  instructions. has  been  repeatedly  demonstrated 
in  his  Gv^TL  experience  and  that  of  others,  by  the 
Divine  blessing,  in  numerous  reyivals  of  true  religion. 
For  they  teach  the  imperative  necessity  of  such  deep 
piety  in  the  ministry,  as  shall  ensure  a  very  strong  desire 
for  the  promotion  of  religion,- — a  definite  aim,  a  clear 
and  impressive  method  of  sermonizing,  and  such  skill,  and 
such  intense  earnestness  and.  force  in  the  manner  of  de- 
livery, as  ivell  as  the  employment  of  other  appropriate 
means,  as  shall  justify  a  rationed  expectation  of  positive 
and  mamifest  success  in  preaching  ''  the  glorious  Gospel 
of  the  blessed  God." 

They  also  teach  that  an  effective  sermon  should 
commonly  consist  of  a  brief  and  lucid  explanation,  in 
its  exordium,  and  clear  and  con\dncing  proof  in  the 
body  of  the  discourse,  and  an  instructive,  searching 
and  direct  application  to  the  different  classes  of  hear- 
ers, such  as  saints  and  sinners,  the  young  and  the 
aged,  the  afflicted  or  the  worldly,  in  the  closing  in- 
ferences,  and  personal  and  direct  address.     That  the 


VI  PREFACE. 

Law  of  Siuai  slioiild  be  preached  with  its  searching 
apphcation,  that  the  wicked  may  perceive  their  atro- 
cious guilt,  wdth  its  fearful  and  endless  penalty,  as  our 
"  schoolmaster  to  bring  us  unto  Christ,  that  we  may 
be  justified  as  w^ell  as  sanctified  by  faith,"  through 
the  special  and  gracious  operations  of  the  "  Holy 
Ghost,  sent  down  from  Heaven,  and  not  by  w^orks  of 
the  law." 

And  it  obviously  follows  that  if  rden  ''by  natnre  are 
children  of  w^rath,"  under  the  condemnation  of  the 
law%  and  their  souls  are  of  more  value  than  all  the 
w^orlds  that  revolve  in  space,— than  it  is  in  the  powder 
of  the  human  mind  to  compute,  or  human  language 
to  describe,  how  faithfully  and  earnestly  should  the 
ambassadors  of  Christ  seek  for  and  employ  the  most 
efficient  methods  in  preaching,  so  as  to  save  the  great- 
est number  of  them  1 

For  if  "  it  pleased  God  by  the  foolishness  of  preach-» 
ing  to  save  them  that  beheve,"  and  "  he  that  believ- 
eth  not  is  condemned  already,"  because  he  believed 
not  the  truth  concerning  Christ  and  his  religion,  and 
if  appropriate,  forcible,  earnest,  and  direct  preaching 
of  the  Gospel  is  ordained  of  God,  as  the  most  hopeful 
and  successful  means  of  securing  the  conversion  and 
sanctification  of  men,  how  vast  _  the  importance  of 
preaching  in  such  a  way  as  shall  be  wdsely  adapted  to 
be  the  powder  of  God  unto  salvation  ;  and  thus  render 


PREFACE.  Vll 

it  as  effective  as  practicable  in  turning  the  greatest 
number  of  precious  souls  from  sin  to  holiness.' 

And  if  our  preaching  does  not  seem  to  secure  the 
Divine  blessing,  in  dii-ectly  and  manifestly  sa\ing 
men  to  any  great  extent,  should  we  not  strive  to  im- 
prove its  method,  not  only  as  a  means  of  instmction 
and  consolation,  but  of  warning,  that  sinners  in 
greater  numbers  shall  be  induced  to  "flee  fi'om  the 
wrath  to  come." 

Certainly  all  ministers  should  study  to  •'*  show 
themselves  approved  unto  God,"  "rightly  dividing 
the  word  of  truth,"  "  that  they  may  save  themselves, 
and  them  that  hear  them,"  "  as  brands  plucked  out 
of  the  fire." 

DUTIES   OF  THE   LATTY. 

And  it  follows  as  a  matter  of  course,  that  the  sub- 
ordinate officers,  and  private  members  of  the  church 
generally,  are  imperatively  bound,  in  ^iew  of  the 
judgment  seat  of  Christ,  to  employ  and  support  the 
more  devoted,  effective  and  successful  preachers  of 
the  Gospel,  in  preference  to  such  as  are  merely  con- 
genial to  their  differing,  unreasonable,  fastidious,  or 
literary  tastes,  whose  preaching  may  be  less  adapted 
to  the  awakening  and  salvation  of  sinners,  "  lest  the 
wicked  die  in  their  iniquity,  and  their  blood  be  re- 
quu'ed  at  theh  hands." 

And  if  God  requires  his  watchmen  to  preach  the 


VUl  PREFACE. 

Gospel  faithfully  and  efficiently,  as  Prof.  Park  ob- 
serves,' "so  onght  the  people  to  hear.  They  are 
bound  to  encourage  the  ministry  in  the  path  which 
they  are  obligated  to  pursue.  And  they  should  never 
condemn,  but  alwaj^s  defend  that  directness  and 
pungency  in  preaching  which  is  adapted  to  be  most 
effective  and  saving." 

Ey  thus  giving  their  preference  in  employing  and 
encouraging  the  more  devoted,  earnest  and  efficient 
of  the  ministr}^,  private  Christians  will  prove  them- 
selves "benefactors  of  both  the  church  and  the 
world." 

Walter  P.  Doe. 
Providence,  E,  I.,  January  1st,  1876, 


COIN^TENTS. 


Page. 
PREFACE.     The  Object  Stated.— Compiler iii 

CHAPTER  I. 
The  Preacher's  Aim.— Hatiield 1 

CHAPTER  H. 
The  Effective  Preacher. — Shepard 6 

CHAPTER  in. 
Power  in  the  Pulpit. — Park 11 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Perpetuating  an  Interest  in  Hearing  the  Gospel. — Park  17 

CHAPTER  V. 
Wisdom  in  Winning  Souls. — Finney 21 

CHAPTER  YL 

Churches  should  seek  more  Piety  in  the  Ministry. — Finney 28 

CHAPTER  YII. 
Take  Heed  of  Thyself. — Finney 31 

CHAPTER  VHI. 
How  to  Win  Souls. — Finney 38 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Preaching  so  as  to  Convert  Nobod3^ — Finney  52 

CHAPTER  X. 
How  to  make  Sinners  realize  their  Guilt. — Barnes 60 

CHAPTER  XL 
The  Successful  Preacher's  Reward. — Barnes 65 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Clearness  of  Style  in  Preaching. — Barnes 67 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  Faithful  Preacher's  Chief  Object.— Barnes 69 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XIV.                                 Page, 
The  Wiiiistry  for  the  Times' — Barnes 76 


CHAPTER  XV. 

The  Revival  Preaching  of  Dr.  Nettleton. — Dr.  Lyman  Beecher.     87 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Revival  Preaching  of  Lyman  Beecher,  D.  D. — Mrs.  Stowe 89 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
The  Ministerial  AVork.— H.  W.  Beecher 93 

CHAPTER  XVIH. 

Preachers,  their  Need  and  Rarity. — Murray 1 02 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
A  i'"ree  Faipit  a  Pulpit  of  Power. — Murray. 110 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Extemporaneous  Preaching. — Murray 116 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
The  Successful  Minister.— Cuyler. 122 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
How  to  Preach. — Cuyler 134 

CHAPTER  XXm. 
Winning  Souls  to  Christ. — Cuyler. . . . , 139 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
The  Revival  we  need. — Cuyler 143 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
Kindling  the  Fire.— Cuyler 148 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
What  shall  I  do  to  be  Saved?— Cuyler 153 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 
Complete  Consecration.—  Cuyler 159 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
The  Successful  Pastor. — Cuyler 164 

•       CHAPTER  XXIX. 
Expository  Preaching. — Taylor 169 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
Dr.  Guthrie's  Early  Ministry.— McCosh 178 


CONTENTS.  xi 

CHAPTER  XXXI.                                Page. 
Dr.  Todd  as  a  Preacher.— J.  E.  Todd 152 

CHAPTER  XXXn. 
The  Power  of  Ilkistration. — Bowling 188 

CHAPTER  XXXHI. 
Uses  of  Illustratiou. — Broadus... 2i}0 

CHAPTER  XXX[V. 
Extemporaneous  Speaking.— Broadus 208 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 
Application. — Broadus ^ ,  ^  218 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
-  Extempore  Sermons. — Hoppin 224 

CHAPTER  XXXVU.  / 

The  Conclusion. — Hoppin 228 

CHAPTER  XXXVin. 

How  to  obtain,  and  retain  the  Attention. — Spurgeon 234 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
Poetry  in  the  Pulpit. — Grout 236 

CHAPTER  XL. 
Force  in  the  Pulpit. — Stearns 241 

CHAPTER  XLT. 
Preaching  :  manner  and  matter. — Hall 251 

CHAPTER  XLII. 
* '  What  to  Preach."— Hall 26 1 

CHAPTER  XLIII. 
What  shall  Ministers  Preach. — Spear 266 

CHAPTER   XLIV. 
Definite  doctrinal  Sermons  needed. — Phelps 270 

CHAPTER  XLV. 

The  relation  of  Theology  to  Preaching. — Barnes 274 

CHAPTER  XLVI. 

Doctrines  adapted  to  Awaken  and  Convict. — Barnes 283 

CHAPTER  XLVII. 
Improvements  in  Theology. — Pond 295 


xii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XLVIir.  Page. 

Preaching  Christ.— Mclkaine SOQ 

CHAPTER  XLIX. 
The  iiiinistry  of  Jesus. — Hep  worth 306 

CHAPTER    L. 
Christ's  practical  Preaching. — Anonymous 311 

CHAPTER  LI. 
Success  in  the  Gospel  Ministry  — Walton 313 

CHAPTER   LH. 
Causes  of  Unsuccessfulness  in  the  Ministry. — Walton 335 

CHAPTER  LIIL 

Characteristics  and  rewards  of  the  Successful  minister. — Conklin  361 

CHAPTER  LIV. 
Preaching  to  the  masses. — Talmage 367 

CHAPTER  LV. 

Elements  of  Moody  and  Sankey's  success. — Dale 383 

CHAPTER   LVI. 
What  Mr.  Moody  can  do  for  us.— Rankin 392 

CHAPTER  LVH. 
Mr.  Moody's  Opening  Sermon. — Moody 395 

CHAPTER  LVm. 
How  to  instruct  inquirers. — Knapp 401 

CHAPTER  LIX. 

ReTival  among  the  Little  ones. — Morss 406 

CHAPTER  LX. 
Common  sense  in  Revivals. — Tenney 409 

CHAPTER  LXL 
The  Condition  of  a  Revival. — Blake 414 

CHAPTER  LXH. 
Means  of  promoting  Revivals. — Sprague 418 

CHAPTER  LXHL 
Treatment  due  to  awakened  Sinners.— Sprague 425 

CHAPTER  LXIV. 

Revivals  contribute  to  the  Joj^s  of  Heaven. — Sprague 434 

CHAPTER  LXV. 
Genuine  Revivals  of  Religion. — Compiler 438 


EFFECTIVE  REVIVAL  PREACHING. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   PREACHER'S   AIM. 
E.  F.  Hatfield,  D.  D. 

What  is  it  ?  What  should  it  be  ?  Is  it  always  what 
it  should  be  ?  Look  into  thine  own  heart,  and  tell  me 
what,  when  you  pray,  study,  write,  preach,  visit,  is  the 
direct  object  of  effort  ?  What  definite  end  do  you  pro- 
pose to  yourself? 

Perhaps  you  are  mourning  over  the  fewness  of  con. 
versions  among  your  people.  But  have  you  ever,  or  for 
any  considerable  time,  set  your  heart  on  numerous  con- 
versions, as  the  result  of  your  labors  ? 

In  preparing  your  discourses,*  have  you  aimed  at  im- 
mediate conversions  1 

While  preaching,  have  you  looked  that  souls  should 
be  pricked  in  the  heart  ? 

If  you  have  had  some  such  feelings,  have  they  been 
so  strong  as  to  overpower  every  other  feeling,  such  as 
1 


2  THE  preacher's   AIM. 

desire  of  applause,  fear  of  offeose,   care  for   temporal 
support,  reputation,  and  the  like  ? 

It  is  time  that  we  look  well  into  this  matter.  We 
are  doing  but  little  in  the  work  of  bringing  souls  to 
Jesus.  How  many  sermons  have  we  preached,  that 
have  savoured  of  nothing  but  death  ?  A  learned  divine, 
not  long  ago,  stated  to  a  friend,  that,  although  he  had 
preached  the  gospel  more  than  forty  years,  he  did  not 
know  that  his  preaching  had  been  the  means  of  convert- 
ing one  soul ! 

Is  this  a  solitary  instance  of  like  inefficiency  ?  It  is 
to  be  feared,  not.  Look  over  the  statistical  tables  of  the 
annual  reports  of  the  churches,  for  the  past  few  years, 
and  how  many  report  no  additions  to  their  church,  dur- 
ing the  year  on  examination  ;  how  many  only  one,  two 
or  three !  Now,  what  did  the  prophet  mean,  when  he 
thus  wrote  :  "Is  not  my  word  like  as  a  fire  ?  saith  the 
Lord  ;  and  like  a  hammer  that  breaketh  the  rock  in 
pieces?"  Was  it  hyperbole  in  Paul  to  say:  "The 
weapons  of  our  warfare  are  mighty  through  God,  to  the 
pulling  down  of  strongholds  ?  "  Then  why  are  no  more 
souls  converted  ? 

In  answering  this  question,  I  beseech  you,  dear  bro- 
ther, to  look  first  at  the  state  of  your  own  heart.  What 
is  your  ruling  passion  ?  Is  it  to  win  souls,  or  shine  in 
courts  ?  ecclesiastical  courts,  it  may  be  ?  Do  you  feel 
deeply,  in  view  of  the  condition  of  the  unconverted  part 
of  your  congregation,  habitually  feel  what  Paul  felt 
when  he  said  :  "  My  heart's  desire  (the  hearty  longing 
desire  of  my  soul)  and  prayer  to  God,  for  Israel,  is  that 
they  might  be  saved?  For  I  could  wish  that  myself 
were  accursed  from  Christ,  lor  my  brethren?"     Can 


THE   PREACHER^S   AIM.  3 

tliis  language,  by  any  interpretation,  be  made  to  express 
anything  but  the  most  intense  anxiety,  even  to  death, 
for  the  salvation  of  souls? 

But  you  shrink  from  a  comparison  with  this  inspired 
preacher.  Let  me,  then,  ask  you  to  look  at  the  hearts 
of  other  preachers,  whose  labors  have  not  been  in  vain 
in  the  Lord. 

It  is  said  of  the  learned  John  Smith,  "  that  he  had 
resolved  very  much  to  lay  aside  other  studies,  and  to 
travail  in  the  salvation  of  men's  souls,  after  w^hose  good 
he  most  earnestly  thirsted."  Of  Alleine,  the  author  of 
"An  Alarm  to  Unconverted  Sinners,"  it  is  said  that 
*'  he  was  infinitely  and  insatiably  greedy  of  the  conver- 
sion of  souls,  and  to  this  end  he  poured  out  his  very 
heart  in  prayer  and  preaching."  Said  Bunyan  :  "  In 
my  preaching,  I  could  not  be  satisfied,  unless  some  fruits 
did  appear  in  my  work."  **  I  would  think  it  a  greater 
happiness,"  said  Matthew  Henry,  "  to  gain  one  soul  to 
Christ,  than  mountains  of  silver  and  gold  to  myself.  If 
I  do  not  gain  souls,  I  shall  enjoy  all  my  other  gains  with 
ver}''  little  satisfaction,  and  I  would  rather  beg  my  bread 
from  door  to  door,  than  undertake  this  great  work." 
Dodridge,  writing  to  a  friend,  remarked  :  "  I  long  for 
the  conversion  of  souls  more  sensibly  than  for  anything 
besides.  Methinks  I  could  not  only  labour,  but  die  for 
it  with  pleasure."  Similar  is  the  death-bed  testimony 
of  the  sainted  Brown,  of  Hadington  :  "  Now,  after  near 
forty  years  preaching  of  Christ,  I  think  I  would  rather 
beg  my  bread  all  the  labouring  days  of  the  week,  for  an 
opportunity  of  publishing  the  gospel  on  the  Sabbath, 
than,  without  such  a  privilege,  to  enjoy  the  richest  pos- 
sessions of  earth.     Oh !  labour,  labour,"  said  he  to  his 


4  THE  preacher's   AIM. 

sons,  "  to  win  souls  to  Christ.'^  Rutherford  could  as- 
s\ire  his  flock  that  they  were  the  objects  of  his  tears, 
cares,  fears,  and  daily  prayers— that  he  laboured  among 
them  early  and  late  ;  "and  my  witness,"  said  he,  "is 
above,  that  your  heaven  would  be  two  heavens  to  me, 
and  the  salvation  of  you  all  as  two  salvations  to  me." 
Fleming,  in  his  "  Fulfillment  of  Scripture,"  mentions 
the  case  of  one  John  Welch,  often  in  the  coldest  winter 
nights,  rising  for  prayer,  found  weeping  on  the  ground, 
and  wrestling  with  the  Lord,  on  accovmt  of  his  people, 
and  saying  to  his  wife,  when  she  pressed  him  for  an  ex- 
planation of  his  distress,  "  I  have  the  souls  of  3000  to 
answer  for,  while  I  know  not  how  it  is  with  many  of 
them."  Brainard  could  say  of  himself,  on  more  than 
one  occasion,  "  I  cared  not  where  or  how  I  lived,  or 
what  hardships  I  went  through,  so  that  I  could  but  gain 
souls  to  Christ.  While  I  was  asleep,  I  dreamed  of  these 
things ;  and  when  I  waked,  the  first  thing  I  thought  of 
was  this  great  work.  All  my  desire  was  for  the  conver- 
sion of  the  heathen,  and  all  my  hope  was  in  God;  " 
therefore  he  wrestled  in  prayer  until  he  sweat  through 
and  through,  and  nature  seemed  exhausted. 

Pages  might  be  filled  with  such  expressions,  from  the 
lips  of  beloved  brethren,  whose  hearts  were  filled  with 
the  love  of  souls,  and  an  insatiable  thirst  for  their  con- 
version, who  are  now  enjoying  the  unspeakable  reward 
of  those  "that  turn  many  to  righteousness." 

When  shall  such  be  the  experience  of  every  minister 
of  the  gospel  1  Not  until  he  has  something  of  the  same 
spirit  which  animated  Paul  when  he  said,  "  the  love  of 
Christ  constraineth  us,"  or  of  Whitefield,  when  he  thus 
wrote  :     "  The  more  we  do,  the  more  we  may  do  lor 


THE  PREACHER'S   AIM.  5 

Jesus.  I  sleep  and  eat  but  little,  and  am  constantly 
employed,  from  morning  to  midnight,  and  yet  my 
strength  is  daily  renewed.  0,  free  grace  !  It  fires  my 
soul,  and  makes  me  long  to  do  something  for  Jesus.  I 
want  more  tongues,  more  bodies,  more  souls  for  the  Lord 
*  Jesus.  Had  I  ten  thousand,  he  should  have  them  all." 
Do  you  think,  my  brother,  that  if  you  had  such  a 
spirit,  you  would  have  to  cry  out,  "  Who  hath  believed 
our  report  ?  "  If  you  should,  from  this  hour,  forsaking 
the  arena  of  controversy  and  sectarian  strife,  and  the 
walks  of  ambition,  devote  all  your  energies  to  the  speedy 
conversion  of  all  your  flock,  lajdng  yourself  out  in  every 
possible  way  to  win  souls,  how  long  would  it  be  before 
you  would  have  joyful  reason  to  exclaim,  "  Who  are 
these  that  fly  as  a  cloud,  and  as  the  doves  to  their  win- 
dows ?  "  Let  me  entreat  you  to  answer  these  questions, 
without  delay,  as  in  the  sight  of  God.  "  The  time  is 
short." 

Therefore  be  sure,  not  only  of  a  definite  subject,  but 
a  definite  object  in  preaching,  so  as  to  save  sinners  now. 

Note.  As  the  ministry  of  Dr.  Hatfield  (Stated  Clerk  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church),  was  blessed  with  an 
almost  annual,  if  not  perpetual  revival  of  religion  in  New  York,  for 
nearly  thirty  years,  his  suggestions,  in  the  above  article,  deserv* 
very  high  appreciation. — Compiler, 
\* 


CHAPTER  11. 

THB    EFFECTIVE    PREACHER. 

(abstract.) 

Professor  George  Shephard,  D.  D. 

We  learn  from  the  sacred  scriptures,  that  when  Paul 
and  Barnabas  preached  in  Iconium,  in  a  Synagogue  of 
the  Jews,  that  they  "  so  spake  that  a  great  multitude, 
both  of  the  Jews  and  also  of  the  Greeks  believed." 

They  preached  effectively,  their  style  as  preachers  as 
well  as  their  spirit  had  much  to  do  with  the  result. 
The  same  remark  holds  good  in  reference  to  all  preach- 
ers. 

Some  ministers  are  more  successful  in  saving  their 
hearers  than  others,  because  they  are  more  skillful  in 
presenting  the  truth.  They  draw  attention  to  it,  and 
produce  conviction  by  it,  so  as  to  lead  men  to  inquire 
what  they  must  do  to  be  saved.  They  reach  and  stir  the 
conscience  of  those  who  hear,  and  plant  arrows  in  their 
hearts.  They  convince,  agitate,  and  persuade  perishing 
sinners  in  all  their  various  conditions,  to  flee  to  Christ 
f<tr  salvation. 

1st.  The  effective  preacher  must  understand  the 
'iruiterial  he  is  to  work  withy  namely :  Truth,  in  its  vwat 
and  various  relations* 


I'HE  EFFECTIVE  PREACHER.  7 

2(i.  He  must  uniderstand  the  material  he  is  to  work 
upon,  that  is,  rnan,  in  his  co'inplex  and  mysterious  at- 
tributes. 

He  must  be  a  clear  and  sound  theologian.  He  must 
aim  to  impress  all  classes  with  a  sense  of  guilt,  under 
condemnation  by  the  law,  and  be  able  to  point  them 
earnestly  to  the  mysterious  method  of  mercy  by  the 
cross,  and  urge  forcibly  the  ground  of  obligation,  and 
imperative  duty  in  serving  God. 

The  truth,  the  sword  which  the  spirit  will  thus  em- 
ploy in  all  its  searching  operations,  when  wielded  with 
sure  aim,  may  at  first  be  painful,  but  it  will  achieve 
benignant  results.  Therefore,  the  truth  must  be  thrown 
upon  the  hearers  in  luminous  and  heavy  masses. 

The  preacher  must  speak  from  experience,  as  though 
he  had  tasted  of  the  bitter  fruits  of  sin,  of  the  anguish, 
of  repentance,  and  its  consequent  peace  ;  of  faith,  as  one 
fired  of  its  visions  ;  of  love,  as  a  flame ;  of  heaven,  as 
one  who  had  foretastes  of  its  joys;  of  hell,  as  one  who 
has  looked  into  its  caverns  of  wrath  and  woe. 

The  fire  of  divine  love  must  kindle  and  burn  in  his 
heart,  so  that  he  is  constrained  to  pour  forth  its  swelling 
and  struggling  contents.  His  head  must  be  clear,  and 
his  heart  must  be  warm,  in  order  to  kindle  emotion  in 
other  hearts. 

He  shoidd  combine,  as  far  as  practicable^  strong  logi- 
cal power  with  deep  feeling,  to  be  effective.  Argu- 
ment is  necessary  as  a  chain  to  conduct  his  feelino-  to  his 
hearers.  Looic  will  make  the  sinner  see  that  he  ouorht 
to  repent,  and  joined  with  emotion,  will  make  him  feel 
that  he  ought  to  repent.  They  will  elaborate  burning 
and  luminous  appeals. 


8  THE  EFFECTIVE  PREACHER. 

The  effective  preacher  must  liave  a  practical  talent. 
He  must  aim  to  stir  the  souls  of  men,  and  have  practical 
tact  and  skill  in  doing  it.  He  must  have  a  definite  and 
pointed  intention.  If  he  preaches,  it  must  be  to  en- 
lighten and  sanctify.  If  he  preaches  duty,  it  is  that  he 
may  induce  men  to  do  it.  His  purpose  is  by  the  grace 
of  God,  to  benefit  his  hearers  directly  and  immediately, 
in  the  very  effort,  and  in  every  effort.  And  in  order  to 
do  this,  he  must  know  the  human  mind,  not  merely  a.s 
learned  in  books,  but  as  read  in  practical  life.  He  must 
know  its  reasonings,  its  feelings  and  actions.  He  must 
have  a  nice  selective  talent,  so  as  to  cull  from  the  mass 
of  his  thoughts  and  materials,  such  as  are  peculiarly 
adapted  to  the  different  minds  of  his  hearers. 

Every  sentence  should  he  in  its  place  and  worthy  of 
its  place.  Let  the  preacher  say  just  the  things  he  ought 
to  say,  that  he  may  be  interesting,  stirring  and  pungent. 
He  should  viaJce  the  introduction  and  discussion  of  his 
sermon  entirely  subservient  to  great  pungency  and  direct- 
ness ^  in  his  closing  practical  application. 

It  is  here  the  effective  preacher  reaches  the  sacred 
recesses  of  the  heart,  and  deals  with  its  finest  and  noblest 
sensibilities.  His  hand  moves  over  cords  which  reach  in 
their  vibrations  to  the  future  world  and  eternal  ages. 

He  must  at  times  insert  pangs  in  the  hearts  of  his 
hearers,  as  the  probing  of  the  surgeon's  knife.  He  must 
lodge  the  goading  stings  of  truth  in  the  conscience.  He 
must  uncover  the  pit,  and  give  visions  of  its  ascending 
smoke,  and  audience  of  its  wailings.  He  must  speak  with 
great  plainness.  He  should  speak  not  only  so  that  he 
may  be  understood,  but  so  that  he  cannot  fail  to  be  un- 
derstood.     Polished  and  rounded  sentences  and  periods, 


THE  EFFECTIVE  PREACHER.  9 

rarely  prick  the  heart.  The  lightning  does  not  stop  to 
polish  its  shafts  in  its  rending,  scorching  track.  He  must 
not  aim  at  mere  elegance  as  an  end,  for  a  beautiful  ser- 
mon is  commonly  an  ineffective  and  useless  one.  If  the 
preacher  aim  at  flowers  in  every  sentence,  and  music  in 
every  line,  he  may  charm  the  people,  he  will  be  to  them 
as  a  very  lovely  song,  of  one  that  hath  a  pleasant  voice, 
and  can  play  well  on  an  instrument,  they  will  hear  hisl 
words,  but  do  them  not.  If  the  blade  of  the  truth  he 
utters  be  burnished,  it  should  also  have  a  terrible  keen- 
ness of  edge,  so  as  to  divide  asunder  the  soul  and  spirit, 
the  joints  and  marrow. 

In  m^der  to  he  truly  effective^  he  must  he  a  truly  dis. 
criminative  preacher,  "  rightly  dividing  the  word  of 
truth  "  so  as  to  make  it  felt  in  the  hearts  and  consciences 
of  his  hearers.  He  must  distinsjuish  the  different  classes 
of  his  congregation,  such  as  saints  and  sinners,  sucb  as 
serve  God  and  such  as  serve  him  not,  such  as  the  moral 
and  grossly  immoral,  and  set  before  them  clearly  their 
respective  conditions  and  duty. 

When  he  is  thus  distinctive  and  characteristic  in  his 
message,  in  exhibiting  their  character  and  prospects,  he 
will  awaken  their  attention  and  interest.  Hence  the 
authority  and  effect  of  Christ's  teaching,  His  blindest, 
hardest  opposers  found  out  ere  he  closed  that  he  spake  of 
them,  so  that  the  truth  he  employed  had  an  intense  and 
smarting  fitness  to  their  own  characters,  and  they  went 
away  with  an  arrow  quivering  and  wrankling  at  their 
vitals.  Let  the  effective  preacher  then  endeavor  to  attain 
correct  views  of  human  nature  in  practical  life,  so  as  to 
make  earnest  and  direct  appeals  to  the  consciences  of 
different  classes  so  as  to  lead  them  in  the  path  of  upright- 


10  THE   EFFECTIVE  PREACHEK. 

ness.  Let  him  cultivate  the  spirit  of  holiness,  and  the 
spirit  of  compassion  for  his  hearers,  and  the  Holy  Spirit 
will  attend  his  message,  and  give  it  a  double  edge,  and 
sharpened  point,  so  as  to  pierce  the  hearts  of  his  hearers. 

The  effective  preacher  must  also  he  earnest  and  im- 
pressive  in  the  delivery  of  divine  truth.  He  must 
strive  to  be  forcible  in  his  manner  of  public  address,  in 
conveying  his  own  conceptions  to  other  minds,  so  as  to 
make  them  vivid  and  productive  there.  He  must  aim 
at  a  full  and  effective  delivery  of  his  thoughts  into  the 
minds  of  his  hearers.  For  this  he  needs  to  cultivate 
considerable  strength  of  voice,  as  well  as  pleasantness 
and  variety  of  tone.  Attitude  and  gesture  are  also  to  be 
regarded  and  cultivated,  till  all  gross  awkwardness  is 
done  away,  and  a  reasonable  ease  and  propriety  are 
?ittained.  At  the  same  time  he  must  aim  to  be  natural 
and  not  palpably  artificial.  His  manner  must  be  natural 
and  appropriate  to  himself,  and  not  be  an  imitation  of 
any  example  or  teacher  of  elocution.     ' 

Earnestness  is  important  as  a  means  of  securing 
naturalness,  and  indeed  to  almost  all  the  desired  results 
of  public  speaking.  There  cannot  be  any  truly  awak- 
ening power  where  there  is  a  stupid  and  frozen  manner. 
It  is  not  enough  that  the  preacher  have  feeling,  he  must 
be  able  to  show  it,  to  make  it  flash  in  the  eye,  glow  in  the 
countenance,  tremble  and  anon  thunder  in  the  voice. 

There  is  a  foundation  in  our  nature  for  sure  effect  in 
all  instances  of  agreeable  warm-hearted  address.  Looks, 
tones,  and  gestures  naturally  move  us.  Therefore  the 
successful  preacher  in  saving  souls,  must  not  only  give 
utterance  to  weighty  and  forcible  matter,  but  he  must 
be  very  earnest  and  impressive  in  its  delivery. 


C, 


CHAPTEK  III. 
POWER    IN    THE    PULPIT. 

(abstract,  bibliotheca  sacra  for  1847.) 
Professor  Edwards  A.  Park,  D.  D. 

When  we  call  to  mind  the  tens  of  thousand?  of  minis- 
ters, who  are  exerting  an  influence,  Sabbath  after  Sab- 
bath, on  hundreds  of  thousands  of  laymen  ;  when  we 
consider  that  the  power  of  the  pulpit  has,  in  comparison 
with  other  efKciencies,  declined  among  us  to  an  alarm- 
ing extent,  within  the  last  fifty  years,  and  that  an  ex- 
tensive religious  apathy  is  one  of  the  results  of  this 
decline  ;  when  we  see  that  our  intellectual  and  moral 
growth,  our  social  order,  and  even  our  civil  freedom  are, 
under  God,  dependent  on  the  preacher's  instrumentality, 
and  that  the  popular  wants,  if  not  the  popular  wish, 
demand  a  soul. reviving  dispensation  of  the  word,  we  feel 
constrained  to  say  that  the  question,  ivhat  are  the  'most 
efficient  modes  of  preaching  the  gospel,  is  the  great  ques- 
tion of  the  present  age. 

Various  methods  of  moral  reform  have  been  proposed, 
but  we  have  reason  to  believe  that  the  chief  and  radical 
reformation  of  men  will  be  the  effect  of  the  Divine  Word 


12  POWER   IN  THE   PULPIT. 

orally  delivered,  and  accompanied  with  the  influence  of 
Divine  Grace. 

In  the  first  place.  In  order  that  ike  pulpit  shall  he 
more  poiverful,  the  preaching  must  he  more  argumenta- 
tive. Accordingly  we  find  that  the  ablest  ministers  of 
the  gospel  have  been  those  "  who  applied  their  hearts  to 
seek  out  wisdom  and  the  reason  of  thins^s." 

In  reading  the  sermons  of  the  Elder  Edwards,  we 
stand  in  awe  ;  for  he  speaks  not  as  one  who  sings  a 
pleasant  song,  but  in  the  name  of  Him  who  says, 
"Preach  the  preaching  that  I  bid  thee."  There  is 
something  in  his  discourses  that  presses  us,  follows  hard 
after  us,  and  if  we  flee  from  it,  it  is  close  upon  our  foot- 
steps ;  and  there  is  no  sense  in  our  trying  to  escape  it. 
It  is  the  ]Dower  of  God's  word  shown  to  be  God's  word, 
identified  as  such,  and  therefore  we  cannot  stay  it  in  its 
onward  urging.  Overcome  by  his  argument,  we  fall  a 
prey,  at  once,  to  his  appeal.  His  discussion  interests 
us ;  we  are  first  surprised,  then  taken  captive,  and  after- 
ward borne  along  "  whithersoever  the  governor  listeth." 
,So  it  was  with  Paul.  "  He  reasoned  in  the  synagogue, 
every  Sabbath,  and  as  he  once  reasoned  of  righteousness, 
temperance  and  judgment  to  come,  Felix,  trembled." 
He  was  not  afraid  of  abstruse  preaching,  nor  of  meta- 
physical preaching ;  but  he  uttered  words  hard  to  be 
understood,  and  liable  to  be  wrested  by  the  unlearned 
and  unstable  ;  still  he  enforced  them  by  such  com- 
pressed ratiocination,  as  to  make  his  hearers  feel,  that 
in  striving  against  him  they  were  striving  against  their 
God. 

The  direct  tendency  of  strong  argument  is  to  transfer 
the  reasoner'g  appeal  from  the  sphere  of  his  own  opinions 


POWER  IN  THE  PULPIT,  13 

to  the  sphere  of  divine  inspiration ;  and  he  who  braces 
himself  against  this  appeal,  strikes  and  presses  against 
a  brazen  wall.  Hence  it  is  characteristic  of  every 
preacher,  who  fortifies  his  words  by  giving  the  reason  for 
them,  to  speak  with  authority.  "  My  words  are  not  my 
own,"  he  seems  to  declare,  "  but  I  have  proved  them, 
and  you  know  them  to  be  true.  He  that  receiveth 
them,  receiveth  not  me  alone,  but  him  that  sent  me. 
He  that  despiseth  them,  poureth  contempt  not  upon  me 
alone,  but  upon  his  own  mind,  and  upon  his  Maker,  and 
shall  at  last  wonder  and  perish." 

Secondly.     The  preaching  of  divine  truth,  in  (yrder  to 
be  powerful,  must  have  a  positive  element. 

In  the  Scriptures  there  is  command,  there  is  penalty, 
there  is  a  strict  condition,  there  is  a  "  believe  and  be 
saved,"  a  "disbelieve  and  be  lost ;  "  and  if  we  Tvaver  in 
.enforcing  this  positive  law  and  penalty,  we  cut  the  sinews 
of  our  strength.  The  Scriptures  do  not  affirm  that  our 
salvation  depends  upon  gradually  cultivating  our  native 
good  principles  merely,  but  they  do  affirm  that  our 
future  life  depends  on  crossing  one  plainly  marked  line, 
on  taking  one  positive  step.  "  Except  a  man  be  born 
again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God."  And  when 
these  positive  truths  of  entire  depravity  by  nature,  and 
salvation  by  grace,  through  faith  in  Christ's  atonement, 
are  urged  pointedly  upon  the  people,  it  makes  the 
preaching  "  mighty,  through  God,  to  the  pulling  down 
of  strongholds." 

Thirdly.     The  power  of  preaching  requires  that  the 
truths  of  the  gospel  he  often  presented  singly. 

When  a  single  doctrine  is  held  out  steadily  to  our 
gaze,  we  may  view  it  with  distinctness ;  its  lineaments 
2 


14  POWEE   IN  THE   PULPIT. 

are  not  confused  with  the  lines  of  other  truths.  Thus  it 
penetrates  deeply  into  our  feelings.  Hence  Paul 
preached  to  the  Romans,  "  the  just  shall  live  by  faith," 
and  James  preached  in  his  epistle  that  "  faith  without 
works  is  dead."  Both  doctrines  are  true.  But,  being 
preached  separately,  are  the  more  effective. 

Fourthly.  The  'preaching  of  the  gospel,  in  order  to 
he  powerful,  must  he  free  and  earnest.  Every  sermon 
should  be  a  transcript  of  the  writer's  own  mind, 
should  be  free  from  guile,  from  all  manceuvers  to  gain 
the  applause  of  a  party ;  it  should  be  instinct  with  the 
spirit  and  truth  of  Jesus.  His  emotions  should  be  free 
and  unrestrained.  He  should  preach  earnestly,  as  the 
spirit  giveth  him  utterance. 

No  man  can  preach  with  power,  unless  he  regulate 
his  feelings  by  the  nature  of  his  theme,  letting  his 
emotions  well  upward  and  onward,  according  to  their 
own  sweet  will.  He  must  unveil  his  heart  to  his  hear- 
ers, if  he  would  bring  their  hearts  into  unison  with  his 
own.  He  should  smile  or  weep,  as  his  subject  con- 
strains him,  A  word,  earnestly  spoken,  gushing  out  of 
an  honest  heart,  has  a  vitality  in  it  which  makes  it 
powerful. 

In  order  that  the  hearts  of  the  people  may  be  stirred 
on  the  subject  of  religion,  and  moved  to  right  action, 
there  must  be  earnest  and  sympathetic  appeals  to  their 
feelings  and  their  emotions,  as  well  as  to  their  reason 
and  judgment. 

Fifthly.  In  order  to  he  powerful  the  preacher  must 
he  humhle  and  affectionate  in  his  manner.  He  must 
not  only  possess  a  compassionate  love  for  his  hearers, 
but  in  manner  he  must  manifest  this  spirit  in  a  special 


POWER   IN  THE  PQLPIT.  15 

degree  at  the  precise  time  of  his  addressiDg  his  auditory. 
His  benevolence  must  flow  downward  to  his  hearers  and 
upward  to  God,  and  thus  with  one  hand  at  the  hearts  of 
his  people,  and  the  other  upon  the  throne  of  the  Eternal, 
he  must  be  the  medium  for  the  transmission  of  those  in- 
fluences which  are  conducted  softly  and  silently  to  the . 
to  the  bosom  of  the  church. 

The  effective  preacher  must  also  realize  his  depen- 
dence on  the  sanctifying  spirit  of  God.  When  he  ban- 
ishes from  his  heart  all  pride  and  self  confidence,  then 
and  then  only  he  is  filled  with  all  the  fullness  of  God. 
Feeling  his  dependence,  he  does  all  things  through  Christ 
that  strengthenethhim;  and  he  speaks  eloquently,  because 
it  is  not  he  that  speaks,  but  the  grace  of  God  which  is 
with  him,  transforming  his  speech  into  the  wisdom  of 
God,  and  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation. 

When  the  preacher  feels  deeply  that  he  is  inadequate 
of  himself  to  convert  his  hearers,  they  feel  that  they  are 
wrestling  with  his  God,  and  thus  he  speaks  to  them  with 
the  "■  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  with  power. 

Finally.  In  oi^der  to  he  powerful^  the  'preacher  must 
aim  to  produce  an  immediate  and  visible  result.  Men 
are  more  affected  by  what  is  near,  than  by  what  is  far 
off,  and  are  more  stimulated  by  the  prospect  of  a  visible 
good,  than  by  the  hope  of  an  advantage  which  they  may 
never  recognize. 

The  effective  preacher  therefore,  must  distinguish 
between  those  who  serve  God  and  those  who  serve  him 
not.  He  should  cry  aloud  :  Who  is  on  the  Lord's  side  ? 
While  he  encourages  the  Christian  in  the  pathway 
of  holy  living,  and  stimulates  him  to  faithful  efforts  for 
the  salvation  of  others,  he  must  warn  the  worldly  and 


16  POWER  IN  THE  PULPIT. 

the  careless  of  their  increasing  and  immediate  danger, 
and  urge  them  to  flee  without  a  moment's  delay  from 
*'  the  wrath  to  come." 

He  should  cry  aloud :  "  Now  is  the  accepted  time, 
behold,  now  is  the  day  of  salvation.  Choose  you  this 
day  whom  ye  will  serve.  Hasten  to  the  city  of  refuge, 
linger  not  in  all  the  plain  ;  thy  judge  will  come  quickly, 
and  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  it  may  be  too  late.'* 


CHAPTER  IV. 

METHODS  OF  PERPETUATING  AN  INTEREST  IN 
HEARING  THE  GOSPEL. 

(abstract,    bibliotheca  sacra  for  1871.) 

By  Professor  Edwards  A.  Park. 

The  first  of  these  methods  is  that  of  unfoldiiuj  the 
peculiar  doctrines  of  revelation.  One  of  the  most  active 
desires  of  man  is  the  desire  of  learning  something  new. 
"  Did  the  Almighty  "  says  Lessing,  "  holding  in  his  right 
hand  Truth,  and  in  his  left  Search  after  truth,  deign 
to  tender  me  the  one  I  might  prefer,  in  all  humility, 
but  without  hesitation,  I  should  request  Search  after 
truth:' 

It  is  true  that,  the  will  of  man  is  by  nature  entirely 
sinful,  but  this  does  not  benumb  his  sensibility  to  the 
truth  which  concerns  him  ;  and  which  rouses  him,  partly 
because  he  is  entirely  sinful.  He  will  cling  to  the  very 
doctrine  which  gives  him  pain.  So  long  as  the  soul 
endures,  it  must  drink  in  the  truth,  as  the  lungs  now 
inhale  the  air.  If  wrong-minded  men  do  for  a  time 
refuse  to  hear  effective  preaching,  right-minded  men  will 
continue  to  love  it.  They  will  love  the  true  and  distinc- 
tive doctrines  of  the  Bible,  as  the  aliment  of  their  minds. 
2* 


1 8  INTEREST  IN  HEARING  THE  GOSPEL. 

A  second  method  of  securing  a  permanent  interest  in 
preaching  the  gosp)el,  is  the  rational  presentation  of  such 
truths  as  are  ^mysterious.  There  is  in  man  an  instinc- 
tive love  of  mystery.  Almost  every  religion  abounds 
with  the  incomprehensible.  The  demand  for  a  theology 
somev/bat  mysterious  is  justified,  and  therefore  strength- 
ened by  reason. 

God's  absolute  sovereignty  in  the  government  of  men, 
and  their  own  free  agency  are  both  true,  but  the  consis- 
teucy  of  these  truths  must  ever  be  mysterious.  The 
effective  preacher  in  promoting  the  permanent  interest 
of  his  hearers,  should  not  only  teach  the  facts  which  may 
be  clearly  understood,  but  teach  in  a  rational  manner, 
whatever  may  be  understood  of  things  apparently  mys- 
terious. He  will  illustrate  the  difference  between  the 
fact  which  we  do  understand,  in  which  we  do  believe, 
and  the  modes  of  the  fact  which  pass  our  understanding 
and  with  regard  to  which,  as  we  have  no  specific  appre- 
hension, we  have  no  specific  belief. 

If  men  see  that  the  veil  is  partly  raised,  they  are 
the  more  inquisitive  to  look  behind  it ;  and  because  they 
on  one  Sabbath  do  not  take  in  all  the  truth,  they  will 
beseech  that  the  same  trutlis  be  repeated  to  them  the 
next  Sabbath. 

•  A  third  method  of  securing  a  permanent  interest  in 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel  is  to  diversify  the  course  of 
our  teaching.  To  the^nind  a  change  of  employment  is 
rest. 

The  Sabbath  day  becomes  a  relief,  because  it  is  a  day 
not  of  idleness,  but  of  a  new  kind  of  work.  The  differ- 
ing sensibilities  of  the  soul  will  be  addressed  in  their 


INTEKEST  IN  HEARING  THE  GOSPEL.  19 

turn,  by  the.  preacher,  who  desires  to  keep  the  attention 
of  his  hearers. 

These  principles  in  regard  to  variety  of  style  of  ad- 
dress, must  extend  not  only  to  variety  of  themes  and  the 
modes  of  treating  them,  to  the  interchange  of  extempora. 
neaus  with  written  discoursesy  to  the  intermingling  of 
argumentative,  didactiCy  hortatory,  historical,  biograph- 
ical and  expository  sermons,  but  to  other  methods. 

For  instance,  the  preacher  may  explain  the  Sabbath- 
school  lesson  of  the  ensuing  week.  He  may  inform  his 
hearers  on  the  previous  Sabbath  of  the  passage  to  be 
explained  ;  may  request  them  to  present  their  questions 
to  him  ;  may  read  these  questions  and  answer  them, 
may  thus  make  his  discourse  a  kind  of  dignified  conver- 
sation with  his  people,  who  thus  become  his  scholars. 
Thus  the  pastor  may  so  diversify  the  services  of  the 
Sabbath  as  to  make  his  audience  expect  a  freshness  and 
new  life  in  every  sermon. 

Finally,  In  order  to  maintain  aperm.anent  interest  in 
effective  preaching  it  must  be  appropriate.  Every  ser- 
mon should  make  some  one  truth  prominent,  and  the 
style  of  writing  and  of  elocution  should  be  in  harmony 
with  that  one  truth.  The  spirit  of  it  should  breathe  it- 
self forth  in  the  prayers  and  in  the  songs  of  the  public 
service,  and  every  service  will  have  a  fresh  interest 
because  unique. 

The  sermon  should  be  wisely  adapted  to  the  varying 
conditions  of  the  hearers.  A  doctrine  or  a  truth  has  a 
meaning  to  the  people  at  one  period,  when  it  is  specially 
adapted  to  their  character  and  condition,  which  it  has  not 
at  another  period.  Such  truth  continues  to  awaken  the 
reverence  of  men,  if  it  be  preached  when  it  has  peculiar 


20  INTEREST  IN  HEARING  THE  GOSPEL. 

force.  ^'  A  word  fitly  spoken  how  good  is  it."  It  is  ap- 
propriate to  both  preacher  and  hearers,  that  he  so  preach 
as  to  make  the  principles  of  goodness  prominent  in  his 
ministrations.  His  hearers  should  flock  into  the  sane 
tuary  expecting  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  some  new  glories 
in  the  character  of  the  Sovereign,  to  be  quickened  with 
some  new  impulse  for  praising  Him  whom  they  ought  to 
prize  above  their  chief  joy. 

The  idea  of  the  sanctuary  ought  to  be  an  idea  of  holy 
worship,  and  as  there  can  be  no  Heaven  unless  the  Lamb 
be  the  light  thereof,  so  there  can  be  no  real  worship  un. 
less  the  truth  of  God  shine  through  it,  and  in  it,  and 
around  it. 

Note. — If  any  phrases,  sentences  or  paragraphs  in  the 
above  abstract  (Chapters  III.  and  IV.)  have  been 
changed  from  the  original  articles,  it  has  been  done 
because  it  seemed  necessary  in  using  the  matter  in  a 
new  form. — Compile7\ 


CHAPTER  y. 

WISDOM   IN   WINNING   SOULS. 

(abstract.) 

President  Charles  G.  Finnet. 

The  great  end  of  preaching  is  to  glorify  God  in  the 
salvation  of  men. 

But  the  very  end  for  which  preaching  is  appointed,  is 
one  against  which  is  arrayed  the  most  powerful  opposi- 
tion of  the  very  sinners  themselves,  who  are  in  perish- 
ing need  of  salvation.  Hence  they  are  often  ingeniou 
in  their  efforts  for  defeating  the  means  employed  to  save 
their  souls. 

And  yet,  in  the  very  face  of  such  dire  infatuation  and 
depravity,  and  of  such  formidable  obstacles  to  the  work 
to  be  achieved,  God  has  ordained  that  the  work  of  con- 
version and  sanctification  shall  be  mainly  promoted  by 
appropriate  and  forcible  preaching. 

For  this  reason,  the  wise  and  successful  laborer  in 
winning  souls  cannot  ordinarily  be  indifferent  and  care- 
less in  the  matter  and  manner  of  proclaiming  saving 
truth  to  his  hearers.  He  may  not  reasonably  expect 
the  divine  blessing  to  crown  his  labors  with  great  suc- 
cess, unless  he  aims  definitely  to  awaken  the  careless, 


22  WISDOM  IN  WINNING    SOULS. 

convict  the  sinful,  and  direct  them  in  the  shortest  way 
to  Christ,  for  salvation. 

And  under  our  first  general  division,  let  us  consider 
the  onatter  of  preachi7ig  which  is  specially  adapted  to 
saving  men.  In  the  first  place.  All  preaching  should  he 
practical. 

The  proj^er  end  of  all  doctrine  is  practice.  Anything 
brought  forward  as  doctrine,  which  cannot  be  made  use 
of  as  practical,  is  not  preaching  the  gospel.  '^J'o  preach 
doctrines  in  an  abstract  way,  and  not  in  reference  to 
practice,  is  absurd.  God  always  brings  in  doctrine  to 
regulate  practice. 

What  can  a  minister  preach,  who  preaches  no  doc- 
trine ?  All  preaching  should  be  doctrinal,  and  all 
preaching  should  be  practical. 

2d.  Preaching  should  he  direct.  The  gospel  should 
be  preached  to  men,  and  not  about  them. 

The  minister  must  address  his  hearers.  He  must 
preach  to  them  about  themselves,  and  not  leave  the  im- 
pression that  he  is  preaching  to  them  about  others.  He 
will  never  do  them  much  good,  farther  than  he  succeeds 
in  convincing  each  individual  that  he  means  him. 

He  must  preach  in  reference  to  the  sins  of  the  con- 
gregation, in  order  to  reform  their  lives  and  save  their 
souls. 

3d.  He  should  hunt  after  sinners  and  Christians, 
wherever  they  may  have  entrenched  themselves  in  in- 
action.  It  is  not  the  design  of  preaching  to  make  men 
easy  and  quiet,  but  to  make  them  act  rigtitly. 

4th.  The  sinner  should  he  made  to  feel  his  guilt,  and 
not  he  left  to  the  impression  that  he  is  merely  unfmiun- 


WISDOM  IN  WlisNING   SOULS.  23 

aie.     He  should  be  made  to  blame  and  condemn  him. 
self,  in  order  that  he  may  seek  pardon. 

5th.  A  prime  object  with  the  preacher  must  be  to 
iiwbke  present  obligation  felt.  Very  few,  indeed,  in 
ordinary  times,  in  ordinary  congregations,  feel  the  pres- 
sure of  immediate  obligation  to  repent. 

Very  few  ministers  make  the  impression  upon  sinners 
that  they  are  expected  to  repent  now.  And  until  the 
sinner's  conscience  is  reached,  on  this  point,  the  preach- 
ing affects  him  but  little. 

6th.  Sinners  should  he  made  to  feel  that  they  have 
something  to  do,  and  that  is  to  repent,  and  that  this 
something  they  must  do  for  themselves,  because  neither 
God  nor  any  one  else  can  do  it  for  them.  They  should 
obey  God,  and  not  wait  for  anything.  For  religion  is 
something  to  do,  and  not  something^  to  wait  for. 

7th.  All  the  excuses  of  sinners  should  he  annihilated. 
They  should  be  shown  that  the  plea  of  inability  to  love 
and  obey  God,  is  the  worst  of  all  excuses,  because  it  is  a 
wicked  disinclination.  It  charges  God  with  tyranny  in 
commanding  men  to  serve  Him,  when  He  has  given 
them  no  capacity  to  strive  to  please  Him. 

Hence  sinners  should  be  shown  that  all  pleas  in  ex- 
cuse for  continuing  in  impenitence  and  unbelief  a  single 
moment,  are  acts  of  rebellion  against  God. 

8tb.  Sinners  should  he  made  to  feel  the  danger  of 
grieving  the  Spirit  of  God,^Thej  should  be  made  to 
understand  that  unless  they  yield,  and  are  made  willing 
in  the  day  of  God's  power,  the  Holy  Ghost  may  leave 
them  forever,  and  their  damnation  may  be  sealed  long 
before  death. 


24  WISDOM  IN  WINNING  SOULS 

Let  us  now  consider  the  manner  of  preaching  effec- 
tively. 

In  the  first  place.  Preaching  should  he  conversa- 
tional. In  order  to  be  clearly  understood,  it  should  be 
colloquial  in  style. 

In  manner,  a  minister  should  preach  more  as  he  talks 
in  earnest,  familiar  conversation,  if  he  wishes  to  deeply 
impress  and  interest  his  hearers. 

2d.  Preaching  should  he  in  the  plain  language  of 
common  life.  It  should  be  intelligible  to  the  hearers. 
It  should  be  like  the  language  of  the  gospels,  easily 
understood  by  the  common  people. 

3d.  It  should  he  parabolical  in  style.  Illustrations 
should  be  frequently  drawn  from  incidents,  real  or  sup- 
posed. 

Jesus  Christ  constantly  illustrated  his  instructions  in 
this  way.  He  would  either  advance  a  principle,  and 
then  illustrate  it  by  a  parable,  that  is,  a  short  story  of 
some  event,  real  or  imaginary,  or  else  he  would  bring 
out  the  principle  in  the  parable.  "And  the  common 
people  heard  him  gladly." 

He  frequently  drew  his  illustrations  from  the  affairs 
of  common  life.  He  illustrated  his  instructions  by 
things  that  were  taking  place  among  the  people, — with 
which  their  minds  were  familiar.  He  talked  abjut  hens 
and  chickens,  and  children  in  the  market  places,  and 
sheep  and  lambs,  shepherds  and  farmers,  husbands  and 
merchants.  ♦ 

He  often  referred  to  historical  facts,  well  known  to 
the  people  at  the  time. 

4th.     Preaching  should  he  moderately  repetitious^ 


WISDOM  IN  WINNING  SOULS.  25 

A  minister  should  repeat  his  main  points,  and  whatever 
he  perceives  is  not  perfectly  understood  by  his  hearers. 

Said  an  eminent  lawyer  :  "In  addressing  a  jury,  I 
always  expect  that  whatever  I  wish  to  impress  upon 
their  minds,  I  must  repeat,  in  the  same  or  different  lan- 
guage. Otherwise  I  do  not  carry  their  minds  along 
with  me,  so  that  they  can  deeply  feel  the  force  of  the 
subsequent  arguments  or  considerations." 

Note. — It  will  commonly  increase  the  impression  and 
give  satisfaction,  to  recapitulate  briefly,  in  the  same  or 
different  language,  in  substance,  the  main  points,  at  the 
close  of  a  general  head.  Bat  more  especially  is  such  a 
recapitulation  profitable  at  the  close  of  the  body  of  the 
discourse,  and  the  main  discussion. — Co'inpiler. 

5th.  In  order  to  he  deeply  impressive,  a  oninider 
should  deeply  feel  his  subject.  Then  he  will  suit  the  ac- 
tion to  the  word,  and  the  word  to  the  action,  so  as  to 
make  the  full  impression  which  the  truth  is  calculated 
to  make.  He  should  be  in  solemn  earnest  in  what  he 
says,  and  he  will  be  effective.  . 

6th.  He  should  avoid  monotony  in  delivery.  If  he 
preaches  in  a  monotonous  way,  he  will  be  very  liable  to 
preach  the  people  to  sleep.  Any  monotonous  sound, 
loud  or  faint,  if  continued  long,  disposes  people  to  sleep. 
You  never  hear  this  monotonous  manner  from  people  in 
earnest  conversation. 

7th.  He  should  address  the  feelings  enough  to  secure 
attention,  and  then  deal  luith  the  conscience,  and  probe 
it  to  the  quick.  The  only  way  to  secure  sound  conver- 
sions is  to  deal  faithfully  with  the  conscience. 

8th.  In  order  to  be  natural  and  impressive  in  de^ 
livery,  preaching  must  be  in  some  degree  extemjyorane^ 


26  WISDOM  IN  WINNING  SOULS. 

ous ;  especially  should  this  be  done  briefly  at  the  ter- 
mination  of  the  main  points,  and  at  the  conclusion. 

9th.  771  order  to  success  in  winning  souls,  the  min- 
ister 'fnust  anticipate  the  ohjections  and  dijfficulties  of 
si>nners,  and  answer  them. 

What  does  the  lawyer  do,  when  pleading  before  a 
jury?  He  anticipates  every  objection  which  may  be 
made  by  his  antagonist,  and  carefully  removes  or  ex- 
plains them. 

10th.  A  minister  should  aim  definitely  at  the  con. 
version  of  his  congregation. 

But  you  may  ask,  ."does  not  all  preaching  aim  at 
this?"  No.  A  minister  always  has  some  aim  in 
preaching,  but  many  sermons  do  not  seem  to  be  aimed 
at  the  conversion  of  sinners.  And  if  sinners  were  con- 
verted under  them,  the  preacher  hintself  would  be 
amazed. 

11th.  And  henccy  if  ministers  are  wise  in  winning 
80ulSf  such  preaching  will  he  revival  preaching — it  will 
be  blessed  "  to  the  sanctification  of  Christians  and  the 
conversion  of  sinners." 

CALL  TO  THE  MINISTEY. 

Note. — But  in  oi^der  to  success  in  promoting  religion^ 
ministers  must  have  a  divine  call  to  the  vjorJc^  and  be 
baptized  ivith  the  Holy  Ghost, 

*'  No  man  taketh  this  honor  unto  himself,  but  he  that 
is  called  of  God,  as  was  Aaron."  He  must  have  such  a 
strong  desire  to  glorify  God  and  save  men  by  preaching, 
that  he  will  exclaim,  "  Woe  is  me  if  I  preach  not  the 
gospel !  "  And  he  must  possess  such  natural  gifts,  as  the 
capacity  for  clear  thinking,  with  strong  feelings,  and  a 


WISDOM  IN  WINNING  SOULS.  27 

vigorous  imagination,  clear  expression,  and  the  power  of 
forcible*  utterance,  that,  when  thoroughly  educated,  he 
shall  be  "  apt  to  teach."  And  being  thus  prepared, 
there  must,  in  the  providence  of  God,  be  an  "  open  door 
which  no  man  can  shut." 

Without  these  qualifications  and  conditions,  a  minister 
ought  not,  and  cannot  preach  the  Gospel.  But  in  order 
to  great  success,  ministers,  by  strong  faith  and  by  entire 
consecration  and  earnest  prayer,  must  be  baptized  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  so  as  to  make  the  highest  practicable  at- 
tainments in  piety,  and  "have  power  with  God  and  with 
men." 

As  Mr.  Barnes  observes  :  "  The  best  of  all  evidences 
of  a  call  to  the  office  of  the  ministry  is  the  divine  bles- 
sing resting  on  our  labours.  If  sinners  are  converted  ; 
if  souls  are  sanctified ;  if  the  interests  of  pure  religion 
are  advanced  ;  if  by  humble,  zealous,  and  self-denying 
efforts,  a  man  is  enabled  so  to  preach  as  that  the  divine 
blessing  shall  rest  constantly  on  his  labours,  it  is  among 
the  best  of  all  evidences  that  he  is  called  of  God,  and  is 
approved  by  Him." — Canvpiler, 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  CHURCH  SHOULD  SEEK  MORE  EMINENT  PIETY  IN 

THE  MINISTRY. 

(abstract.) 

President  Charles  G.  Finney. 

And  if  such  are  the  essential  qualifications  on  the  part 
of  the  ministry  in  order  to  great  success  in  winning  souls 
to  Christ,  we  may  infer  that  there  is  need  of  a  great  re- 
formation on  the  part  of  the  churches  in  seeking^  as  of 
the  first  importance,  deeply  spiritual  and  effective  min. 
isters. 

Now  we  have  reason  to  believe  that  eminent  piety  and 
a  reputation  for  marked  success  in  promoting  the  prayer- 
ful activity  and  holiness  of  professing  Christians;  and  the 
conversion  of  sinners  is  to  a  great  extent  made  entirely 
subordinate  to  merely  pleasing  manners,  and  a  popular 
and  attractive  style  of  preaching,  which  shall  specially 
interest  the  young  people  and  increase  the  size  of  the 
congregation. 

But  if  the  edification  and  sanctification  of  Christian* 
that  they  may  be  fitted  for  admission  to  heaven,  and  the 
awakening  and  salvation  of  perishing  sinners  is  of  tran- 
scendent importance,  while  an  acceptable  delivery  and 


EMINENT  PIETY  IN  THE  MINISTRY.  29 

style  are  to  be  prized,  deep  piety  and  effectiveness  in 
preaching,  are  vasily  more  indispensible  to  a  good  min- 
ister of  Jesus  Christ,  and  a  useful  pastor  to  a  Christian 
church. 

Therefore,  whatever  other  qualifications  ministers  may 
have  to  recommend  them,  if  their  record  does  not  show 
that  they  are  ''  endued  with  power  from  on  high"  so  as 
to  render  them  truly  effective  in  promoting  the  piety  of 
the  church  and  the  conversion  of  sinners,  they  should  be 
considered  disqualified  in  a  fundamental  point. 

It  used  to  be  the  custom  of  churches,  and  I  believe  in 
some  places  is  so  still,  in  presenting  a  call  to  the  pasto- 
rate, to  certify,  that  having  witnessed  the  spiritual  fruits 
of  his  labors,  they  deem  him  qualified  and  called  of  God 
to  the  work  of  tlie  ministry.  And  now  if  the  churches 
desire  to  be  restored  to  their  former  "  refreshing  from 
the  presence  of  the  Lord,"  they  must  reform  their  present 
practice,  and  prayerfully  seek  for,  and  sustain  a  ministry 
prossessing  spiritual  unction,  and  which  is  successful  in 
saving*  men,  rather  than  a  ministry  which  may  excel 
merely  in  an  attractive  and  pleasing  essay-style  of  preach- 
ing, with  but  little  adaptation  to  the  promotion  of  true 
revivals  of  pure  and  undefiled  religion. 

And  in  order  to  secure  such  a  pre-eminently  desirable 
ministry,  without  which  the  churches  must  be  doomed  to 
perpetual  barrenness,  they  must  hold  the  Theological 
Seminaries  to  a  strict  account  in  fulfilling  their  duty  in 
this  matter.  They  should  be  impressed  by  the  impera- 
tive demands  of  the  churches,  that  it  is  necessary  for 
them  to  make  more  special  and  direct  efforts  in  striving 
to  develope  a  much  higher  type  of  piety  on  the  part  of 
their  students. 
3« 


30  EMINENT  PIETY  IN  THE  MINISTEY. 

Some  years  since  one  branch  of  the  Scotch  Church 
was  so  tried  with  the  want  of  unction  and  power  in  the 
ministers  furnished  them  by  their  Theological  Seminary, 
that  they  passed  a  resolution,  that  until  the  Seminary 
reformed  in  this  respect,  they  would  not  employ  the  min- 
isters educated  there. 

Hence  we  believe  that  if  the  excellent  and  learned 
Professors  of  the  Seminaries  should  perceive  tliat  the 
churches  were  earnestly  seeking  a  ministry  of  truly 
earnest  piety  and  effectiveness,  as  well  as  fair  gifts  and 
scholarship,  tliey  would  give  more  attention  to  cultiva- 
ting devotional  and  fervid  piety  among  their  students. 

They  would  be  more  deeply  impressed  with  the  im- 
portance of  making  the  Seminaries,  schools  for  develop- 
ing Christian  experience  and  true  holiness,  and  skill  in 
soul  saving,  as  well  as  sound  learning  in  the  doctrines 
and  precepts  of  the  sacred  scriptures.  And  then  the 
Seminaries  should  avoid  as  far  as  practicable,  recom- 
mending^ candidates  for  settlement  over  the  churches  who 
are  not  "endued  with  power  from  on  high,"  and  are 
striving  for  very  high  attainments  in  personal  holiness. 
For  however  learned  and  eloquent  their  students  may 
be,  without  these  higher  qualifications  they  cannot  be 
*'  good  ministers  of  Jesus  Christ." 


CHAPTER  VIl. 

TAKE  HEED  TO  THYSELF. 

By  Pres.  Charles  G.  Finney. 

"Take  heed  to  thyself,  and  to  the  doctrine;  continue  in  them: 
for,  in  doing  this,  thou  shalt  both  save  thyself  and  them  that  hear 
thee."     1  Timothy,  iv,  16. 

I  am  not  going  to  preach  to  preachers,  but  to  suggest 
certain  conditions  upon  wJiich  the  salvation  promised  in 
this  text  may  be  secured  by  them. 

1st.  See  that  you  are  constrained  by  love  to  preach 
the  Gospel,  as  Christ  was  to  provide  a  Gospel. 

2d.  See  that  you  have  the  special  enduement  of  power 
from  on  high,  by  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

3d.  See  that  you  have  a  heart,  and  not  merely  a 
head-call  to  undertake  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel.  By 
this  I  mean,  be  heartily  and  most  intensely  inclined  to 
seek  the  salvation  of  souls  as  the  great  work  of  life,  and 
do  not  undertake  what  you  have  no  heart  to. 

4th.     Constantly  maintain  a  close  walk  with  God. 

5th.  Make  the  Bible  your  book  of  books.  Study  it 
much,  upon  your  knees,  waiting  for  divine  light. 

6tb.     Beware  of  leaninoj  on  commentaries.     Consult 


32  TAKE  HEED  TO  THYSELF. 

them  when  convenient ;  but  judge  for  yourself,  in  the 
light  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

7th.  Keep  yourself  pure — in  will,  in  thought,  in  feel- 
ing, in  word  and  action. 

8th.  Contemplate  much  the  guilt  and  danger  of  sin- 
ners, that  your  zeal  for  their  salvation  may  be  intensified. 

9th  Also  deeply  ponder  and  dwell  much  upon  the 
boundless  love  and  compassion  of  Christ  for  them. 

10th,  So  love  them  yourself  as  to  be  willing  to  die 
for  them. 

11th.  Give  your  most  intense  thought  to  the  study 
of  ways  and  means  by  which  you  may  save  them.  Make 
this  the  great  and  intense  study  of  your  life. 

12th.  Refuse  to  b"^  diverted  from  this  work.  Guard 
against  every  temptation  that  would  abate  your  interest 
in  it. 

13th.  Believe  the  assertion  of  Christ  that  he  is  with 
you  in  this  work  always  and  everywhere,  to  give  you  all 
the  help  you  need. 

14th.  "  He  that  winneth  souls  is  wise";  and,  "  if 
any  man  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God,  who  giveth 
to  all  men  liberally  and  upbraideth  not,  and  he  shall 
receive."  *' But  let  him  ask  in  faith."  Remember, 
therefore,  that  you  are  bound  to  have  the  wisdom  that 
shall  win  souls  to  Christ. 

15th.  Being  called  of  God  to  the  work,  make  your 
calling  your  constant  argument  with  God  for  all  that  you 
need  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  work. 

16th.  Be  diligent  and  laborious,  "  in  season  and  out 
of  seaison.'* 

17th.  Converse  much  with  all  classes  of  your  bear- 
ers on  the  question  of  their  salvation,  that  you  may  un- 


TAKE  HEED   TO  THYSELF.  33 

derstand  their  opinions,  errors,  and  wants.  Ascertain 
their  prejudices,  ignorance,  temper,  habits,  and  whatever 
you  need  to  know  to  adapt  your  instruction  to  their 
necessities. 

18th.  See  that  your  own  habits  are  in  all  respects 
correct ;  that  you  are  temperate  in  all  things — free  from 
the  stain  or  smell  of  tobacco,  alcohol,  drugs,  or  any- 
thing of  which  you  have  reason  to  be  ashamed  and  which 
mav  stumble  others. 

19th.  Be  not  "light-minded,"  but  "set  the  Lord 
always  before  you."    ' 

20th.  Bridle  your  tongue,  and  be  not  given  to  idle 
and  unprofitable  conversation. 

21st.  Always  let  your  people  see  that  you  are  in 
solemn  earnest  with  them,  both  in  the  pulpit  and  out  of 
it ;  and  let  not  your  daily  intercourse  with  them  nullify 
your  serious  teaching  on  the  Sabbath. 

22d.  Resolve  to  "  know  nothing  among  your  people" 
"save  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified";  and  let  them 
understand  that,  as  an  ambassador  of  Christ,  your  busi- 
ness with  them  relates  wholly  to  the  salvation  of  their 
souls. 

23d.     Be  sure  to  teach  them  as  well  by  example  as  ( 
by  precept.     Practice  yourself  what  you  preach. 

24th.  Be  especially  guarded  in  your  intercourse  with 
women,  to  raise  no  thought  or  suspicion  of  the  least  im- 
purity in  yourself. 

25th.  Guard  your  weak  points.  If  naturally  tend, 
ing  to  gayety  and  trifling,  watch  against  occasions  of  fail- 
ure in  this  direction. 

26th.  If  naturally  somber  and  unsocial,  guard  against 
moroseness  and  unsociability. 


34  TAKE  HEED  TO  THYSELF. 

27th.  Avoid  all  affectation  and  sham  in  all  things. 
Be  what  you  profess  to  be,  and  you  will  have  no  temp- 
tation to  "  make  believe." 

28th.  Let  simplicity,  sincerity,  and  Christian  pro- 
priety stamp  your  whole  life. 

29th.  Spend  much  time  every  day  and  night  in 
prayer  and  direct  communion  with  God.  This  will  make 
you  a  power  for  salvation.  No  amount  of  learning  and 
study  can  compensate  for  the  loss  of  this  communion. 
If  you  fail  to  maintain  communion  with  God,  you  are 
*'  weak  as  another  man. 

30th.  Beware  of  the  error  that  there  are  no  means 
of  regeneration;  and,  consequently,  no  connection  of 
means  and  ends  in  the  regeneration  of  souls. 

31st.  Understand  that  regeneration"  is  a  moral  and, 
therefore,  a  voluntary  change. 

32d,  Understand  that  the  Gospel  is  adapted  to  change 
the  hearts  of  men,  and  in  a  wise  presentation  of  it,  you 
may  expect  the  efficient  co-operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

33d.  In  the  selection  and  treatment  of  your  texts 
always  secure  the  direct  teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

34th.  Let  all  your  sermons  be  heart  and  not  merely 
head  sermons, 

35th.  Preach  from  experience,  and  not  from  hearsay, 
or  mere  reading  and  study. 

36th.  Always  present  the  subject  which  the  Holy 
Spirit  lays  upon  your  heart  for  the  occasion.  Seize  the 
points  presented  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  your  own  mind, 
and  present  them  with  the  greatest  possible  directness 
to  your  congregation. 

37th.  Be  full  of  prayer  whenever  you  attempt  to 
preach,  and  go  from  your  closet  to  your  pulpit  with  the 


TAKE  HEED  TO  THYSELF.  35 

inward  groanings  of  the  Spirit  pressing  for  utterance  at 
your  lips. 

38th.  Get  your  mind  fully  imbued  with  your  subject, 
so  that  it  will  press  for  utterance  ;  then  op.en  your  mouth, 
and  let  it  forth  like  a  torrent. 

39th.  See  that  "  the  fear  of  man  that  bringeth  a 
snare"  is  not  upon  you.  Let  your  people  understand 
that  you  fear  God  too  much  to  be  afraid  of  them. 

40th.  Never  let  the  question  of  your  popularity  with 
your  people  influence  your  preaching. 

41st.     Never   let   the   question  of  salary  deter  you  [ 
from  "  declaring  the  whole  counsel  of  God,  whether  men 
will  bear- or  forbear." 

42d.  Do  not  temporize,  lest  you  lose  the  confidence 
ef  your  people,  and  thus  fail  to  save  them.  They  can- 
not thoroughly  respect  you  as  an  ambassador  of  Christ 
if  they  see  that  you  dare  not  do  you  duty. 

43d.  Be  sure  to  "  commend  yourself  to  every  man's 
conscience  in  the  sight  of  God." 

44th.     Be  "  not  a  lover  of  filthy  lucre." 

45th.     Avoid  every  appearance  of  vanity, 

46th.  Compel  your  people  to  respect  your  sincerity 
and  your  spiritual  wisdom. 

47th.     Let  them  not  for  a  moment  suppose  that  you  , 
can  be  influenced  in  your  preaching  by  any  considera- 
tions of  salary,  more  or  less,  or  none  at  all. 

48th.  Do  not  make  the  impression  that  you  are  fond 
of  good  dinners,  and  like  to  be  invited  out  to  dine  ;  for 
this  will  be  a  snare  to  you,  and  a  stumbling  block  to 
them. 

49th.  "  Keep  under  your  body,  lest,  after  having 
preached  to  others,  y6urself  should  be  a  castaway." 


36  TAKE  HEED  TO  THYSELF. 

50th.  "  Watch  for  souls  as  one  who  must  give  an  ac- 
count to  God." 

51st.  Be  a  diligent  student,  and  thoroughly  instruct 
your  people  in  all  that  is  essential  to  their  salvation. 

5 2d.     Never  flatter  the  rich. 

53d.  Be  especially  attentive  to  the  wants  and  in- 
struction of  the  poor. 

54th.  Suffer  not  yourself  to  be  bribed  into  a  com- 
promise with  sin  by  donation  parties. 

55th.  Suffer  not  yourself  to  be  publicly  treated  ais  a 
mendicant,  or  you  will  come  to  be  despised  by  a  large 
class  of  your  hearers. 

56th.  Repel  every  attempt  to  close  your  mouth 
against  whatever  is  extravagant,  wrong,  or  injurious 
amongst  your  people. 

57th.  Maintain  your  pastoral  integrity  and  inde- 
pendence, lest  you  sear  your  conscience,  quench  the 
Holy  Spirit,  forfeit  the  confidence  of  your  people,  and 
lase  the  favor  of  God. 

58th.     Be  an  example  to  the  flock,  and  let  your  life 
'  illustrate  your  teaching.     Remember  that  your  actions 
and  spirit  will  teach  even  more  impressively  than  your 
sermons. 

59th.  If  you  preach  that  men  should  offer  to  God 
and  their  neighbor  a  love  service,  see  that  you  do  this 
yourself,  and  avoid  all  that  tends  to  the  belief  that  you 
are  working  for  pay. 

60th.     Give  to  your  people  a  love  service,  and  en- 
courage them  to  render  to  you,  not  a  money  equivalent' 
for  your  labor,  but  a  love  reward  that  will  refresh  both 
you  and  them. 

6]  St.     Repel  every  proposal  to  get  money  for  you  or 


TAKE   HEED   TO  THYSELF.  37 

for  church  purposes  that  will  naturally  disgust  and  ex- 
cite the  contempt  of  worldly  but  thoughtful  men. 

62d.  Resist  the  introduction  of  tea  parties,  amusing 
lectures,  and  dissipating  sociables,  especially  at  those 
seasons  most  favorable  for  united  efforts  to  convert  souls 
to  Christ.  Be  sure  the  Devil  will  try  to  head  you  off  in 
this  direction.  When  you  are  praying  and  planning  for 
a  revival  of  God's  work,  some  of  your  worldly  church- 
members  will  invite  you. to  a  party.  Go  not,  or  you  are 
in  for  a  circle  of  them,  that  will  defeat  your  prayers. 

63d.  Do  not  be  deceived.  Your  spiritual  power  with 
your  people  will  never  be  increased  by  accepting  such 
invitations  at  such  times.  If  it  is  a  good  time  to  have 
parties,  because  the  people  have  leisure,  it  is  also  a  good 
time  for  religious  meetings,  and  your  influence  should 
be  used  to  draw  the  people  to  the  house  of^God. 

64th.     See  that  you  personally  know  and  daily  live 
upon  Christ. 
4 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

HOW  TO   WIN  SOULS. 

Bt  President  Charles  G.  Finney. 

"  Take  heed  to  thyself,  and  unto  the  doctrine  ;  continue  in  them  ; 
for  in  doing  this  thou  shalt  both  save  thyself  and  them  that  hear 
thee."— I  Tim.,  iv,  16. 

I  beg  leave  in  this  article  to  suggest  to  my  youDger 
brethren  in  the  ministry  some  thoughts  on  the  philosophy 
of  so  preaching  the  Gospel  as  to  secure  the  salvation  of 
souls.  They  are  the  result  of  much  study,  much  prayer 
for  Divine  teaching,  and  a  practical  experience  of  many 
years. 

I  understand  the  admonition  at  the  head  of  this 
article  to  relate  to  the  matteTy  order,  and  manmer  of 
preaching. 

The  problem  is,  how  shall  we  win  souls  wholly  to 
Christ.  Certainly  we  must  win  them  away  from  tJieTYi- 
selves. 

1st.  They  are  free  moral  agents,  of  course — rational, 
accountable. 

2d.  They  are  in  rebellion  against  God,  wholly  alien. 
ated,  intensely  prejudiced,  and  committed  against  Him. 


HOW  TO  WIN  SOULS,  39 

3d.  They  are  committed  to  self  •gratification  as  the 
end  of  their  being. 

4th,  This  committed  state  is  moral  depravity,  the 
fountain  of  sin  within  them,  from  which  flow,  by  a 
natural  law,  all  their  sinful  ways.  This  comniitted  vol- 
untary state  is  their  *'  wicked  heart,"  This  it  is  that 
needs  a  radical  change. 

5th.  God  is  infinitely  benevolent,  and  unconverted 
sinners  are  supremely  selfish ;  so  that  they  are  radical- 
ly opposed  to  God.  Their  committal  to  the  gratification 
of  their  appetites  and  propensities  is  known  in  Bible 
language  as  the  "  carnal  mind ;  "  or,  as  in  the  margin, 
"the  minding  of  the  flesh,"  which  is  enmity  against 
God. 

6th.  This  enmity  is  voluntary,  and  must  be  over- 
come, if  at  all,  by  the  Word  of  God,  made  effectual  by 
the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 

7th.  The  Gospel  is  adapted  to  this  end,  and  when 
wisely  presented  we  may  confidently  expect  the  effect- 
ual co-operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  is  implied  in 
our  commission,  "  Go  and  disciple  all  nations,  and  lo  !  I 
am  with  you  alyyays,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world." 

8th.  If  we  are  unwise,  illogical,  unphilosophical,  and 
out  of  all  natural  order,  in  presenting  the  Gospel,  we 
have  no  warrant  for  expecting  Divine  co,operation. 

9th.  In  winning  souls,  as  in  everything  else,  God 
works  through  and  in  accordance  with  natural  laws. 
Hence,  if  we  would  win  souls,  we  must  wisely  adapt 
means  to  this  end  We  must  present  those  truths  and 
in  that  order  adapted  to  the  natural  laws  of  mind,  of 
thought,  and  mental  action.  A  false  mental  philosophy 
will  greatly  mislead  us,  and  we  shall  often  be  found 


40  HOW  TO  WIN  SOULS. 

ignorantly  working  against  the  agency  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

10th.  Sinners  must  be  convicted  of  their  enmity. 
They  do  not  know  God,  and  consequently  are  often 
ignorant  of  the  opposition  of  their  hearts  to  Him.  "  By 
the  law  is  the  knowledge  of  sin,"  because  by  the  law  the 
sinner  gets  Ms  first  true  idea  of  God.  By  the  law  he 
first  learns  that  God  is  perfectly  benevolent,  and  in- 
finitel}^  opposed  to  all  selfishness.  This  law,  then, 
should  be  arrayed  in  all  its  majesty  against  the  selfish- 
ness and  enmity  of  the  sinner. 

11th.  This  law  carries  irresistible  conviction  of  its 
righteousness,  and  no  moral  agent  can  doubt  it. 

12th.  All  men  know  that  they  have  sinned,  but  all 
are  not  convicted  of  the  guilt  and  ill  desert  of  sin.  The 
many  are  careless,  and  do  not  feel  the  burden  of  sin, 
the  horrors  and  terrors  of  remorse,  and  have  not  a  sense 
of  condemnation  and  of  being  lost. 

o 

13th.  But  without  this  they  cannot  understand  or 
appreciate  the  Gospel  method  of  salvation.  One  cannot 
intelligently  and  heartily  ask  or  accept  a  pardon  until 
he  sees  and  feels  the  fact  and  justice  of  his  condemna- 
tion. 

14th.  It  is  absurd  to  suppose  that  a  careless,  uncon- 
victed sinner  can  intelligently  and  thankfully  accept  the 
Gospel  offer  of  pardon,  until  he  accepts  tlie  righteousness 
of  God  in  his  condemnation.  Conversion  to  Christ  is  an 
intelii^^ent  chano^e.  Hence  the  conviction  of  ill  desert 
must  precede  the  acceptance  of  mercy  ;  for  without  this 
conviction  the  soul  does  not  understand  its  need  of 
mercy.  Of  course,  the  offer  is  rejected.  The  Gospel  is 
no  glad  tidings  to  the  careless,  unconvicted  sinner. 


HOW  TO  WIN  SOULS.  41 

15th.  The  spirituality  of  the  law  should  be  unspar- 
ingly  applied  to  the  conscience  until  the  sinner's  self- 
rightousness  is  annihilated,  and  he  stands  speechless  and 
self-condemned  before  a  holy  God. 

16th.  In  some  men  this  conviction  is  already  ripe, 
and  the  preacher  may  at  once  present  Christ,  with  the 
hope  of  his  being  accepted  ;  but  at  ordinary  times  such 
cases  are  exceptional.  The  great  mass  of  sinners  are 
careless,  unconvicted,  and  to  assume  their  conviction  and 
preparedness  to  receive  Christ,  and,  hence,  to  urge  sin- 
ners immediately  to  accept  him,  is  to  begin  at  the  wrong 
end  of  our  work — to  render  our  teaching  unintelligible. 
Aud  such  a  course  will  be  found  to  have  been  a  mis. 
taken  one,  whatever  present  appearances  and  professions 
may  indicate.  The  sinner  may  obtain  a  hope  under  such 
teaching ;  but  unless  the  Holy  Spirit  supplies  something 
which  the  preacher  has  failed  to  do,  it  will  be  found  to 
be  a  false  one.  All  the  essential  links  of  truth  must  be 
supplied, 

17th.  When  the  law  has  done  its  work,  annihilated 
self-rightousness,  and  shut  the  sinner  up  to  the  accept- 
ance of  mercy,  he  should  be  made  to  understand  the 
delicacy  and  danger  of  dispensing  with  the  execution  of 
the  penalty  when  the  precept  of  law  has  been  violated. 

18th.  Right  here  the  sinner  should  be  made  to 
understand  that  from  the  benevolence  of  Grod  he  cannot 
justly  infer  that  God  can  consistently  forgive  him.  For 
unless  public  justice  can  be  satisfied  the  law  of  universal 
benevolence  forbids  the  forgiveness  of  sin.  If  public 
justice  is  not  regarded  in  the  exercise  of  mercy,  the  good 
of  the  public  is  sacrificed  to  that  of  the  individual. 
God  will  never  do  this. 
4* 


42  HOW  TO  WIN  SOULS. 

19th.  This  teaching  will  shut  the  sinner  up  to  h:)ok 
for  some  offei'ing  to  public  justice. 

20th.  Now  give  him  the  atonement  as  a  revealed  fact, 
and  shut  him  up  to  Christ  as  his  own  sin  offering.  Press 
the  revealed  fact  that  God  has  accepted  the  death  of 
Christ  as  a  substitute  for  the  sinner's  death,  and  that  this 
is  to  be  received  upon  the  testimony  of  God. 

21st.  Being  already  crushed  into  contrition  by  the 
convicting  power  of  the  law,  the  revelation  of  the  love 
of  God  manifested  in  the  death  of  Christ,  will  naturally 
beget  self-loathing,  and  that  godly  sorrow  that  needeth 
not  to  be  repented  of.  Under  this  showing  the  sinner 
can  never  fors^ive  himself.  God  is  holv  and  olorious  ; 
and  he  a  sinner,  saved  by  sovereign  grace.  This  teach- 
ing may  be  more  or  less  formal  as  the  souls  you  address 
are  more  or  loss  thoughtful,  intelligent,  and  careful  to 
understand. 

22d.  It  was  not  by  accident  that  the  dispensation  of 
law  preceded  the  dispensation  of  grace  ;  but  it  is  in  the 
natural  order  of  things,  in  accordance  with  established 
mental  laws,  and  evermore  the  law  must  prepare  the 
way  for  the  Gospel.  'J'o  overlook  this  in  instructing 
souls  is  almost  certain  to  result  in  false  hope,  the  intro- 
duction of  a  false  standard  of  Christian  experience,  and 
to  fill  the  church  with  spurious  converts.  Time  will 
make  this  plain. 

23d.  The  truth  should  be  preached  to  the  persons 
present,  and  so  personally  applied  as  to  compel  every 
one  to  feel  that  you  mean  him  or  her.  As  has  been  often 
said  of  a  certain  preacher  :  "  He  does  not  preach,  but 
explains  what  otlier  people  preach,  and  seems  to  be  talk- 
ing directly  to  me." 


HOW  TO  WIN  SOULS.  43 

24th.  This  course  will  rivet  attention,  and  cause 
your  hearers  to  lose  sight  of  the  length  of  your  sermon. 
They  will  tire  if  they  feel  no  personal  interest  in  what 
you  say.  To  secure  their  individual  interest  in  what 
you  are  saying  is  an  indispensable  condition  of  their 
bein<^  converted.  And,  while  their  individual  interest 
is  thus  awakerid,  and  held  fast  to  your  subject,  they  will 
seldom  complain  of  the  length  of  your  sermon.  In 
nearly  all  cases,  if  the  people  complain  of  the  length  of 
our  sermons,  it  is  because  we  fail  to  interest  them  per- 
sonally in  what  we  say. 

25th.  If  we  fail  to  interest  them  personally,  it  is 
either  because  we  do  not  address  them  personally,  or 
because  we  lack  unction  and  earnestness,  or  because  we 
lack  clearness  and  force,  or  certainly  because  we  lack 
something  that  we  ought  to  possess.  To  make  them  feel 
that  we  and  God  means  them  is  indispen^^able. 

26th.  Do  not  think  that  earnest  piety  alone  can 
make  you  successful  in  winning  souls.  This  is  only  one 
condition  of  success.  Tliere  must  be  common  sense, 
there  must  be  sjDiritual  wisdom  in  adapting  means  to  the 
end.  Matter  and  manner  and  order  and  time  and  place 
all  need  to  be  wisely  adjusted  to  the  end  we  have  in 
view.  ^ 

27th.  God  may  sometimes  convert  souls  by  men  who 
are  not  spiritually  minded,  when  they  possess  that  natural 
sagacity  which  enables  them  to  ada23t  means  to  that  end  , 
but  the  Bible  warrants  us  in  affirming  that  these  are 
exceptional  cases.  Without  this  sagacity  and  adaptation 
of  means  to  this  end  a  spiritual  mind  will  fail  to  win 
souls  to  Christ. 

28th.     Souls  need  instruction  in  accordance  wifh  the 


44  HOW  TO  WIN  SOULS. 

measure  of  their  intelligence.  A  few  simple  truths, 
when  wisely  applied  and  illuminated  by  the  Holy  Ghost, 
will  convert  Children  to  Christ.  I  say  tvisely  applied, 
for  they  too  are  sinners,  and  need  the  application  of  the 
laAv,  as  a  schoolmaster,  to  bring  them  to  Christ,  that 
they  may  be  justified  by  faith.  It  will  sooner  or  later 
appear  that  supposed  conversions  to  Christ  are  spurious 
where  the  preparatory  law  work  has  been  omitted,  and 
Christ  has  not  been  embraced  as  a  Saviour  from  sin  and 
condemnation. 

29th.  Sinners  of  education  and  ciilturcj  who  are, 
after  all,  unconvicted  and  skeptical  in  their  hearts,  need 
a  vastly  more  extended  and  thorough  application  of  truth. 
Professional  men  need  the  Gospel  net  to  be  thrown  quite 
around  them,  with  no  break  through  which  they  can  es- 
cape ;  and,  when  thus  dealt  with,  they  are  all  the  more 
sure  to  be  converted  in  proportion  to  their  real  intelli- 
gence. I  have  found  that  a  course  of  lectures  addressed 
to  lawyers,  and  adapted  to  their  habits  of  thought  and 
reasoning,  is  most  sure  to  convert  them. 

30th.  To  be  successful  in  winning  souls,  we  need  to 
be  observing — to  study  individual  character,  to  press  the 
facts  of  experience,  observation,  and  revelation  upon  the 
consciences  of  all  classes. 

31st.  Be  sure  to  explain  the  terms  you  use.  Before 
I  was  converted,  I  failed  to  hear  the  terms  repentance, 
faith,  regeneration,  and  conversion  intelligibly  explained. 
Repentance  was  described  as  a  feeling.  Faith  was  rep- 
resented as  an  intellectual  act  or  state^  and  not  as  a  vol- 
untary act  of  trust.  Regeneration  was  represented  as 
some  physical  change  in  the  nature,  produced  by  the  di- 
rect  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  instead  of  a  voluntary 


HOW  TO  WIN  SOULS.  45 

change  of  the  ultimate  preference  of  the  soul,  produced 
by  the  spiritual  illumination  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Even 
conversion  was  represented  as  being  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  in  such  a  sense  as  to  cover  up  the  fact  that 
it  is  the  sinner's  own  act,  under  the  persuasions  of  the 
Holy  Ghost. 

32d.  Urge  the  fact  that  repentance  involves  the  vol- 
untary and  actual  renunciation  of  all  sin  ;  that  it  is  a 
radical  chan2:e  of  mind  toward  God. 

33d.  Also  the  fact  that  savins^  faith  is  heart  trust  in 
Christ ;  that  it  works  by  love,  it  purifies  the  heart,  and 
overcomes  the  world ;  that  no  faith  is  saving  that  has 
not  these  attributes. 

34th.  The  sinner  is  required  to  put  forth  certain 
mental  acts.  What  these  are  he  needs  to  understand. 
Error  in  mental  philosophy  but  embarrasses,  and  may 
fatally  deceive  the  inquiring  soul.  Sinners  are  often 
put  upon  a  wrong  track.  They  are  often  put  upon  a 
strain  to  feel  instead  of  putting  forth  the  required  acts 
of  will.  Before  my  conversion  I  never  received  from 
m.an  any  intelligible  idea  of  the  mental  acts  that  God 
required  of  me. 

35th.  The  deceitfulness  of  sin  renders  the  inquiring 
soul  exceedingly  exposed  to  delusion ;  therefore  it  be- 
hooves  teachers  to  beat  about  every  bush,  and  to  search 
out  everv  nook  and  corner  where  a  soul  can  find  a  false 
refuo'e.  Be  so  thorouo^h  and  discrimiuatins:  as  to  render 
it  as  nearly  impossible  as  the  nature  of  the  case  will 
admit,  that  the  inquirer  should  entertain  a  false  hope. 

36th.  Do  not  fear  to  be  thorough.  Do  not  th.rough 
false  pity  put  on  a  plaster  where  the  probe  is  needed. 
Do  not  fear  that  you  shall  discourage  the  convicted  sin- 


46  HOW  TO  WIN  SOULS. 

ner;  and  turn  him  back,  by  searching  him  out  to  the 
bottom.  If  the  Holy  Spirit  is  dealing  with  him,  the 
more  you  search  and  probe  the  more  impossible  it  will  be 
for  the  soul  to  turn  back  or  rest  in  sin. 

37th.  If  you  would  save  the  soul,  do  not  spare  a 
right  hand,  or  right  eye,  or  any  darling  idol ;  but  see  to 
it  that  every  form  of  sin  is  given  up.  Insist  upon  full 
confession  of  wrong,  to  all  that  have  a  right  to  confes- 
sion. Insist  upon  full  restitution,  so  far  as  is  possible, 
to  all  injured  parties.  Do  not  fall  short  of  the  express 
teachings  of  Christ  on  this  subject.  Whoever  the  sinner 
may  be,  let  him  distinctly  understand  that  unless  he 
forsakes  all  that  he  has  he  cannot  be  the  disciple  of 
Christ.  Insist  upon  entire  and  universal  consecration 
of  all  the  powers  o£  body  and  mind,  and  of  all  property, 
possessions,  character,  and  influence  to  God.  Insist  upon 
the  total  abandonment  to  God  of  all  ownership  of  self, 
or  anything  else,  as  a  condition  of  being  accepted. 

38th.  Understand  yourself,  and,  if  possible,  make 
the  sinner  understand  that  nothing  short  of  this  is  in- 
volved in  true  faith  or  true  repentance,  and  that  true 
consecration  involves  them  all. 

39th.  Keep  constantly  before  the  sinner's  mind  that 
it  is  the  personal  Christ  with  whom  he  is  dealing,  that 
God  in  Christ  is  seeking  his  reconciliation  to  himself, 
and  that  the  condition  of  his  reconciliation  is  that  he 
gives  up  his  will  and  his  whole  being  to  God — that  he 
leave  not  a  hoof  behind. 

40th.  Assure  him  that  *'  God  has  given  to  him  eter- 
nal life,  and  this  life  is  in  his  son";  that  "Christ  is 
made  unto  him  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification,  and 


HOW  TO  WIN  SOULS.  47 

redemption"  ;  and  that  from  first  to  last  he  is  to  find 
his  whole  salvation  in  Christ. 

41st.  When  satisfied  that  the  soul  intelligently  re- 
ceives all  this  doctrine,  and  the  Christ  herein  revealed, 
tlien  remember  that  he  must  persevere  unto  the  end,  as 
the  further  condition  of  his  salvation.  Here  you  have 
before  you  the  great  work  of  preventing  the  soul  from 
backsliding,  of  securing  its  permanent  sanctification  and 
sealing  for  eternal  glory. 

42d.  Does  not  the  very  common  backsliding  in  lieart 
of  converts  indicate  some  grave  defect  in  the  teachings 
of  the  pulpit  on  this  subject  ?  What  does  it  mean  that 
80  many  hopeful  converts,  within  a  few  months  of  their 
apparent  conversion,  lose  their  first  love,  lose  all  their 
fervency  in  religion,  neglect  their  duty,  and  live  on  in 
name  CJiristians,  but  in  spirit  and  life  worldlings  ? 

43d.  A  truly  successful  preacher  must  not  only  win 
souls  to  Christ,  but  must  keep  {hem  won.  He  must  not 
only  secure  their  conversion,  but  their  permanent  sanc- 
tification. 

44th.  Nothing  in  the  Bible  is  more  expressly  prom- 
ised in  this  life  than  periiianent  sanctification,  I  Thes., 
v.  23,  24  :  "  The  very  God  of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly ; 
and  I  pray  God  your  whole  spirit,  soul,  and  body  be  pre- 
served blameless  unto -the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  Faithful  is  he  that  calleth  you,  who  also  will 
do  it."  This  is  unquestionably  a  prayer  of  the  apostle 
for  permanent  sanctification  in  this  life,  with  an  express 
promise  that  he  who  has  called  us  will  Jo  it. 

45th.  We  learn  from  the  Scriptures  that  "  after  we 
believe  ' '  we  are  or  may  be  sealed  with  the  Holy  Spirit 
of  promise,  and  that  this  sealing  is  the  earnest  of  our 


48  HOW  TO  WIN  SOULS. 

salvation.  Eph.,  i,  13,  14  :  "  In  whom  ye  also  trusted 
after  that  ye  heard  the  word  of  truth,  the  gospel  of  your 
salvation ;  in  whom  also  after  that  ye  believed,  ye  were 
sealed  with  the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise,  which  is  the 
earnest  of  our  inheritance  until  the  redemption  of  the 
purchased  possession,  unto  the  praise  of  his  glory." 
His  sealing  this  earnest  of  our  inheritance  is  that  which 
renders  our  salvation  sure.  Hence,  in  Eph.,  iv,  30,  the 
apostle  says;  "Grieve  not  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God, 
whereby  ye  are  sealed  unto  the  day  of  redemption." 
And  in  11  Cor.,  i,  21st  and  22d  verses,  the  apostle  says : 
"  Now  he  which  establish eth  us  with  you  in  Christ,  and 
hath  anointed  us,  is  God,  who  hath  also  sealed  us  and 
given  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  in  our  hearts."  Thus 
we  are  established  in  Christ  and  anoirded  by  the  Spirit, 
and  also  sealed  by  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  in  our  hearts. 
And  this,  remember,  is  a  blessing  that  we  receive  after 
that  we  believe,  as  PauT  has  informed  us  in  his  Ej^istle 
to  the  Ephesians,  above  quoted.  Now  it  is  of  the  last 
importance  that  converts  should  be  taught  not  to  rest 
short  of  this  permanent  sanctification,  this  sealing,  this 
being  established  in  Christ  by  the  special  anointing  of 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

46th.  Now,  brethren,  unless  we  know  what  this 
means  by  our  own  experience,  and  lead  converts  to  this 
experience,  we  fail  most  lamentably  and  essentially  in 
our  teaching.  We  leave  out  tlie  very  cream  and  full- 
ness of  the  Gospel. 

47th.  It  should  be  understood  that  while  this  expe- 
rience is  rare  amongst  ministers  it  will  be  discredited  by 
the  churches,  and  it  will  be  next  to  impossible  for  an 
isolated  preacher  of  this  doctrine  to  overcome  the  un- 


aow  TO  WIN  SOULS.  49 

belief  of  his  church.  They  will  feel  doubtful  about  it, 
because  so  few  preach  it  or  believe  in  it ;  and  will  ac- 
count for  their  pastor's  insisting  upon  it  by  saying  that 
his  experience  is  owing  to  his  peculiar  temperament, 
and  thus  they  will  fail  to  receive  chis  anointing  because 
of  their  unbelief.  Under  such  circumstances  it  is  all 
the  more  necessary  to  insist  much  upon  the  importance 
and  privilege  of  permanent  sanctification. 

48th.  Sin  consists  in  carnal  mindedness,  in  "  obeying 
the  desires  of  the  flesh  and  of  the  mind."  Permanent 
sanctification  consists  in  entire  and  permanent  consecra- 
tion to  God.  It  implies  the  refusal  to  obey  the  desire  of 
the  flesh  or  of  the  mind.  The  baptism  or  sealing  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  subdues  the  power  of  the  desires  and  strength- 
ens and  confirms  the  will  in  resisting  the  impulse  of  de- 
sire, and  in  abiding  permanently  in  a  state  of  -making 
the  whole  beino,  an  offerinor  to  God. 

49th.  If  we  are  silent  upon  this  subject,  the  natural 
inference  will  be  that  we  do  not  believe  in  it,  and,  ot 
course,  that  we  know  nothing  about  it  in  experience. 
This  will  enevitably  be  a  stumbling-block  to  the  church. 

50th.  Since  this  is  undeniably  an  important  doctrine, 
and  plainly  taught  in  the  Gospel,  and  is,  indeed,  the 
marrow  and  fatness  of  the  Gospel,  to  fail  in  teaching 
this  is  to  rob  the  church  of  its  richest  inheritance. 

51st.  The  testimony  of  the  church,  and  to  a  great 
extent  of  the  ministry,  on  the  subject  has  been  lament- 
ably defective.  This  legacy  has  been  withheld  from 
the  church,  and  is  it  any  wonder  that  she  so  disgrace- 
fully backslides  ?     The  testimony  of  the  comparatively 

few,  here  and  there,  that  insist   upon  this  doctrine  is 
5 


50  HOW  TO  WIN  SOULS. 

almost  nullified  by  the  counter  testimony  or  culpable 
silence  of  the  great  mass  of  Christ's  witnesses. 

52d.  My  dear  brethren,  my  convictions  are  so  ripe 
and  my  feelings  so  deep  upon  this  subject  that  I  must 
not  conceal  from  you  my  fears  that  lack  of  personal  ex- 
perience, in  many  cases,  is  the  reason  of  this  great  defect 
in  preaching  the  Gospel.  1  do  not  say  this  to  reproach 
you  ;  it  is  not  in  my  heart  to  do  so.  It  is  not  wonderful 
that  many  of  you,  at  least,  have  not  this  experience. 
Your  reliorious  training^  nas  been  defective.  You  have 
been  led  to  take  a  different  view  of  this  subject.  Vari- 
ous causes  have  operated  to  prejudice  you  against  this 
blessed  doctrine  of  the  glorious  Gospel.  You  have  not 
intellectually  believed  it ;  and,  of  course^  have  not  re- 
ceived Christ  in  his  fullness  into  your  hearts.  Perhaps 
this  doctrine  to  you  has  been  a  stumbling-block  and  a 
rock  of  offense ;  but  I  pray  you  let  not  prejudice  pre- 
vail, but  venture  upon  Christ  by  a  present  acceptance 
of  him  as  your  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification,  and 
redemption,  and  see  if  he  will  not  do  for  you  exceeding' 
abundantly,  above  all  that  you  asked  or  thought. 

53d.  No  man,  wsaint  or  sinner,  should  be  left  by  us 
to  rest  or  be  quiet  in  the  indulgence  of  any  sin.  No 
one  should  be  allowed  to  entertain  the  hope  of  Heaven, 
if-  we  can  prevent  it,  who  lives  in  the  indulgence  of 
known  sin  in  any  form.  Our  constant  demand  and  per- 
suasion should  be,  "  Be  ye  holy,  for  God  is  holy."  "  Be 
ye  perfect,  even  as  your  father  in  Heaven  is  perfect." 
Let  us  remember  the  manner  in  which  Christ  concludes 
his  memorable  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  After  spreading 
out  those  awfully  searching  truths  before  his  hearers, 
and   demanding  that  they  should  be  perfect,  as  their 


HOW  TO  WIN   SOULS.  51 

Father  in  Heaven  was  perfect,  he  concludes  by  assuring 
them  that  no  one  could  be  saved  who  did  not  receive  and 
obey  his  teachiogs.  Instead  of  attemptiDg  to  please  our 
people  in  their  sins,  we  should  continually  endeavor  to 
hunt  and  persuade  them  out  of  their  sins.  Brethren, 
let  us  do  it,  as  we  would  not  have  our  skirts  defiled  with 
their  blood.  If  we  pursue  this  course,  and  constantly 
preach  with  unctioD  and  power,  and  abide  in  the  full, 
ness  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  and  we  may  joyfully 
expect  to  save*  ourselves  and  them  that  hear  us. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

PREACHING    SO    AS    TO    CONVERT    NOBODY. 

By  President  Chas.  G.  Finney. 

The  design  of  this  article  is  to  propound  several  rules 
by  a  steady  conformity  to  any  one  of  which  a  man  may 
preach  so  as  not  to  convert  anybody.  It  is  generally 
conceded  at  the  present  day  that  the  Holy  Spirit  con- 
verts souls  to  Christ  by  means  of  truth  adapted  to  that 
end.  It  follows  that  a  selfish  preacher  will  not  skill- 
fully adapt  means  to  convert  souls  to  Christ,  for  this  is 
not  his  end. 

Rule  1st.     Let  your  supreme  liiotive   be    to   secure 

your  own  popularity;  then,  of  course,  your  preaching 
will  be  adapted  to  that  end,  and  not  to  convert  souls  to 
Christ. 

2d.  Aim  at  pleasing,  rather  than  at  converting  your 
hearers. 

3d.  Aim  at  securing  for  yourself  the  reputation  of 
a  beautiful  writer. 

4th.  Let  your  sermons  be  written  with  a  high  degree 
of  literary  finish. 

5th.  Let  them  be  short,  occupying  in  the  reading 
not  to  exceed  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  minutes. 


PEEACHING  SO  AS  TO  CONVERT  NOBODY.  53 

6th.  Let  your  style  be  flowery,  ornate,  and  quite 
above  the  comprehension  of  the  common  people. 

7th.  Be  sparing  of  thought,  lest  your  sermon  contain 
truth  enoug-h  to  convert  a  soul. 

8th.  Lest  your  sermon  should  make  a  saving  impres- 
sion, announce  no  distinct  propositions  or  heads,  that 
will  be  remembered,  to  disturb  the  consciences  of  your 
hearers. 

9th.  Make  no  distinct  points,  and  take  no  disturbing 
issues  with  the  consciences  of  your  hearers,  lest  they 
remember  these  issues,  and  become  alarmed  about  their 
souls. 

10th.  Avoid  a  logical  division  and  sub-division  of 
your  subject,  lest  you  should  too  thoroughty  instruct 
your  people. 

11th.  Give  your  sermon  the  form  and  substance  of  a 
flowing,  beautifully  written,  but  never- to-be  remembered 
essay ;  so  that  your  hearers  will  say  "  it  was  a  beautiful 
sermon,"  but  can  give  no  further  account  of  it. 

12th.  Avoid  preaching  doctrines  that  are  offensive  to 
the  carnal  mind,  lest  they  should  say  of  you,  as  they 
did  of  Christ,  "  This  is  a  hard  saying.  Who  can  hear 
it  ?  "  and  that  you  are  injurincj  your  influence. 

13th.  Denounce  sin  in  the  abstract,  but  make-  no 
allusion  to  the  sins  of  your  present  audience. 

14th.  Keej)  the  spirituality  of  God's- holy  law.  by 
which  is  the  knowledge  of  sin,  out  of  sight,  lest  th€  sin- 
ner should  see  his  lost  condition,  and  flee  from  the  wrath 
to  come. 

15th.     Preach  the  Gospel  as  a  remedy,  but  conceal 

or  ignore  the  fatal  disease  of  the  sinner. 

16th.     Preach   salvation   by  grace ;    but   ignore  the 
5* 


64      PREACHING  SO  AS  TO  CONVERT  NOBODY. 

condemned  and  lost  condition  of  the  sinner,  lest  he 
should  understand  what  you  mean  by  grace,  and  feel 
his  need  of  it. 

17th.  Preach  Christ  as  an  infinitely  amiable  and 
good-natured  being ;  but  ignore  those  scathing  rebukes 
of  sinners  and  hypocrites  which  so  often  made  his  hear- 
ers  tremble. 

18th,  Avoid  especially  preaching  to  those  who  are 
present.  Preach  about  sinners,  and  not  to  them.  Say 
they^  and  not  you,  lest  any  one  should  make  a  personal 
and  saving  ap|'lication  of  your  subject. 

19th.  Aim  to  make  your  hearers  pleased  with  them- 
selves and  pleased  with  you,  and  be  careful  not  to  wound 
the  feelings  of  any  one. 

20th.  Preach  no  searching  sermons,  lest  you  convict 
and  convert  the  worldly  members  of  your  church. 

21st.  Avoid  awakening  uncomfortable  memories  by 
reminding  your  hearers  of  their  past  sins. 

22d.  Do  not  make  the  impression  that  God  commands 
your  hearers  now  and  here  to  obey  the  truth. 

23d.  Do  not  make  the  impression  that  you  expect 
your  hearers  to 'commit  themselves  upon  the  spot  and 
give  their  hearts  to  God. 

24th.  Leave  the  impression  that  they  are  expected 
to  go  away  in  their  sins,  and  to  consider  the  matter  at 
their  convenience. 
/  25th.  Dvv^ell  much  upon  their  inability  to  obey,  and 
leave  the  impression  that  they  must  wait  for  God  to 
chans:e  their  natures. 

26th.     Make  no  appeals  to  the  fears  of  sinners  ;  but 
leave' the  impression  that  they  have  no  reason  to  fear. 


PKEACHING  SO  AS  TO  COJTn^EET  :N-0B0DT.  55 

27th.  Say  so  little  of  Hell  that  your  people  will  in- 
fer that  you  do  not  believe  in  its  existence. 

28th.  Make  the  impression  that,  if  God  is  as  good  as 
you  are,  He  will  send  no  one  to  Hell. 

29th.  .  Preach  the  love  of  God,  but  ignore  the  holi- 
ness of  His  love,  that  will  by  no  means  clear  the  impen- 
itent sinner. 

30th.  Often  present  God  in  his  parental  love  and 
relations ;  but  ignore  His  governmental  and  legal  rela- 
tions to  His  subjects,  lest  the  sinner  should  find  him. 
self  condemned  already,  and  the  wrath  of  God  abidino- 
on  him. 

31st.  Preach  God  as  all  mercy,  lest  a  fuller  repre- 
sentation of  His  character  should  alarm  the  consciences 
of  your  hearers. 

32d.  Try  to  convert  sinners  to  Christ  without  jDro- 
ducing  any  uncomfortable  convictions  of  sin. 

33d.  Flatter  the  rich,  so  as  to  repel  the  poor^  and 
vou  will  convert  none  of  either  class. 

34th.  Make  no  disagreeable  allusions  to  the  doc- 
trines of  self-denial,  cross-bearing,  and  crucifixion  to  the 
world,  lest  you  should  convict  and  convert  some  of  your 
church  members. 

35th.  Admit,  either  expressly  or  impliedly,  that  all 
men  have  some  moral  goodness  in  them  ;  lest  sinners 
should  understand  that  they  need  a  radical  change  of 
heart,  from  sin  to  holiness. 

36th.  Avoid  pressing  the  doctrine  of  total  moral  de- 
pravity; Jest  you  should  offend,  or  even  convict  and 
convert,  the  moralist. 

37th.     Do  not  rebuke   the  worldly  tendencies  of  the 


56      PREACHING  SO  AS  TO  CONVEET  NOBODY. 

church,  lest  you  should  hurt  their  feelings,  and  finally 
convert  some  of  them. 

38th.  Should  any  express  anxiety  about  their  souls, 
do  not  probe  them  by  any  uncomfortable  allusion  to 
their  sin  and  ill-desert ;  but  encourage  them  to  join  the 
church  at  once,  and  exhort  them  to  assume  their  perfect 
safety  within  the  fold. 

39th.  Preach  the  love  of  Christ  not  as  enlightened 
benevolence,  that  is  holy,  just,  and  sin.hating  ;  but  as  a 
sentiment,  an  involuntary  and  undiscriminating  fond. 
ness. 

40th.  Be  sure  not  to  represent  religion  as  a  state  of 
loving  self-sacrifice  for  God  and  souls ;  but  rather  as  a 
free  and  easy  state  of  self-indulgence.  By  thus  doing, 
you  will  prevent  sound  conversions  to  Christ,  and  con- 
vert your  hearers  to  yourself. 

41st.  So  select  your  themes,  and  so  present  them,  as 
to  attract  and  flatter  the  wealthy,  aristocratic,  self- 
indulgent,  extravagant,  pleasure-seeking  classes,  and 
you  will  not  convert  any  of  them  to  the  cross-bearing 
religion  of  Christ. 

42d.  Be  time-serving,  or  you  will  endanger  your 
salary  ;  and,  besides,  if  you  speak  out  and  are  faithful, 
you  may  convert  somebody. 

43d.  Do  not  preach  with  a  divine  unction,  lest  your 
preaching  make  a  saving  impression, 

44th.  To  avoid  this,  do  not  maintain  a  close  walk 
with  God,  but  rely  upon  your  learning  and  study. 

45th.  Lest  you  should  pray  too  much,  engage  in 
light  reading  and  worldly  amusements. 

46th.  That  your  people  may  not  think  you  in  earnest 
to  save  their  souls,  and,  as  a  consequence,  heed  your 


PEEACHIKG  SO  AS  TO  COiTVEET  NOBODY.  57 

preaching,  encourage  church- fairs,  lotteries,  and  other 
gambling  and  worldly  expedients  to  raise  money  for 
church  purposes. 

47th.  If  you  do  not  yourself  approve  of  such  things, 
make  no  public  mention  of  your  disapprobation,  lest 
your  church  should  give  them  up,  and  turn  their  atten- 
tion to  saving:  souls  and  be  saved  themselves. 

48th.  Do  not  rebuke  extravagance  in  dress,  lest  you 
should  uncomfortably  impress  your  vain  and  worldly 
church. members. 

49th,  Lest  you  should  be  troubled  with  revival 
scenes  and  labors,  encourage  parties,  pic-nics,  excur- 
sions, and  worldly  amusements,  so  as  to  divert  attention 
from  the  serious  work  of  saving  souls. 

50th.  Ridicule  solemn  earnestness  in  pulling  sinners 
out  of  the  fire,  and  recommend,  by  precej^t  and«  ex- 
ample, a  jovial,  fun-loving  religion,  and  sinners  will 
have  little  respect  for  your  serious  preaching. 

51st.  Cultivate  a  fastidious  taste  in  your  people',  by 
avoiding  all  disagreeable  allusions  to  the  last  judgment 
and  final  retribution. 

52d.  Treat  such  uncomfortable  doctrines  as  obsolete 
and  out  of  place  in  these  days  of  Christian  refinement. 

53d.  Do  not  commit  yourself  to  much.needed  re- 
forms, lest  you  should  compromise  your  popularity  and 
injure  your  influence.  Or  you  may  make  some  branch 
of  outward  reform  a  hobby,  and  dwell  so  much  upon  it 
as  to  divert  attention  from  the  great  work  of  converting 
souls  to  Chri^. 

54th.  So  exhibit  religion  as  to  encourage  the  selfish 
pursuit  of  it.     Make  the  impression  upon  sinners  that 


58      PEE  ACHING  SO  AS  TO  CONVERT  NOBODY. 

their  own  safety  and  happiness  is  the  supreme  motive 
for  being  religious. 

55th.  Do  not  lay  much  stress  upon  the  efficacy  and 
necessity  of  prayer,  lest  the  Holy  Spirit  should  be 
poured  out  upon  you  and  the  congregation,  and  sinners 
should  be  converted. 

56th.  Make  little  or  no  impression  upon  your  hear- 
ers, so  that  you  can  repeat  your  old  sermons  often  with, 
out  its  beins^  noticed. 

57th.  If  your  text  suggest  any  alarming  thought, 
pass  lightly  over  it,  and  by  no  means  dwell  upon  and 
enforce  it. 

58th.  Avoid  all  illustrations,  repetitions,  and  em- 
phatic sentences,  that  may  compel  your  people  to  re- 
member what  you  say. 

59th.  Avoid  all  heat  and  earnestness  in  your  de- 
livery, lest  you  make  the  impression  that  you  really 
believe  what  you  say. 

60th.  Address  the  imagination,  and  not  ihe  con. 
science,  of  yovir  hearers. 

61st.  Make  it  your  great  aim  to  be  personally  pop- 
ular with  all  classes  of  your  hearers. 

62d.  Be  tame  and  timid  in  presenting  the  claims  of 
God,  as  would  become  you  in  presenting  your  own 
claims. 

63d.  Be  careful  not  to  testify  from  your  own  personal 
experience  of  the  power  of  the  Gospel,  lest  you  should 
produce  the  conviction  upon  your  hearers  that  you  have 
something  which  they  need. 

64th.  See  that  you  say  nothing  that  will  appear  to 
any  of  your  hearers  to  mean  him  or  her,  unless  it  be 
something  flattering. 


PREACHING  SO  AS  TO  CONVEET  NOBODY.  59 

65th.  Encourage  church  sociables,  and  attend  them 
yourself,  because  they  tend  so  strongly  to  levity  as  to 
compromise  Christian  dignity  and  sobriety,  and  thus 
paralyze  the  power  of  your  preaching. 

66th.  Encourage  the  cultivation  of  the  social  in  so 
many  ways  as  to  divert  the  attention  of  yourself  and 
your  church-members  from  the  infinite  guilt  and  danger 
of  the  unconverted  among  you. 

67th.  In  those  sociables  talk  a  little  about  religion? 
but  avoid  any  serious  appeal  to  the  heart  and  conscience 
of  those  who  attend,  lest  you  should  discourage  their  at- 
tendance, always  remembering  that  they  do  not  go  to 
socials  to  be  earnestly  dealt- with  in  regard  to  their  re- 
lations  to  God.  In  this  way  you  will  effectually  so  em- 
ploy yourself  and  church-members  as  that  your  preach- 
ing will  not  convert  anybody. 

The  experience  of  ministers  who  have  steadily  ad- 
hered to  any  of  the  above  rules,  will  attest  the  soul- 
destroying  efficacy  of  such  a  course,  and  churches  whose 
ministers  have  steadily  conformed  to  any  of  these  rules, 
can  testify  that  such  preaching  does  not  convert  souls  to 
Christ, 

Note. — As  President  Finney's  ministry,  in  the  opinion  of  good 
judges  of  modern  times,  was  pro^abh*  blessed  with  more  numerous, 
thorough,  and  permanent  conversions,  during  fifty  j^ears,  than  al- 
most any  other  minister  of  Christ,  the  above  counsels  are  entitled  to 
corresponding  appreciation . — Compiler. 


CHAPTER  X. 

HOW    TO    MAKE    SINNERS   REALIZE   THEIR 

GUILT. 

(abstract.) 

Rev.  Albert  Barnes. 

As  men,  in  their  natural  state,  are  very  insensible 
and  apathetic  on  the  subject  of  religion,  "  being  dead 
in  trespasses  and  sins,"  where  tbey  are  instructed  in  the 
truthfulness  and  fundamental  doctrines  and  precepts  of 
Christianity,  the  first  and  indispensable  efforts  of  .the 
preaclier  who  aims  at  the  conversion  of  his  hearers,  must 
be,  by  the  divine  blessing,  to  awaken  the  careless  and 
slumbering  to  a  realizing  sense  of  their  aggravating 
guilt  and  imminent  danger.  And  of  course,  in  so  doing, 
he  must  present  with  clearness  and  force  the  searching 
and  absolute  claims  of  God's  holy  law  over  the  secret 
thoughts,  intentions  and  volitions,  as  well  as  the  words 
and  deeds  of  sinners,  with  its  fearful  and  eternal  penalty 
of  retribution,  pronounced  by  God  upon  all  who  continue 
impenitent  and  unbelieving. 

For  "  the  law  is  our  schoolmaster  to  bring  us  unto 
Christ,  that  we  may  be  justified  by  faith." 

But  in  achieving  this  great  work,  formidable  obstacles 


GUILT   OF  MORALISTS.  61 

are  to  be  encountered.  Therefore,  let  us  inquire  how 
shall  the  effective  preacher  make  the  sinner  feel  his 
guilt  and  danger  /" 

The  first  obstacle  he  must  meet  and  overcome  as  far 
as  practicable,  is  the  sinner's  natural  reluctance  to  feel 
a  consciousness  of  his  personal  guilt  and  danger. 

2d.  The  preacher  must  himself  deeply  realize  tha 
sinner's  unwillingness  to  confess  his  absolute  guilt. 

He  will  find  not  only  the  pharasaic  moralist  but  the 
most  wicked  of  men,  ever  ready  to  justify  themselves 
and  plead  extenuating  circumstances  for  their  sinfulness 
and  netrlect  of  relioion. 

3d.  He  must  explain  and  correct  the  false  philosophy 
and  wnscriptural  opinions,  behind  which,  the  sinner 
may  have  entrenched  himself ,  concerning  his  physical 
depravity  and  inability  to  obey  God  ^nd  turn  from  sin. 
The  sinner  must  be  made  to  realize  that  his  own  free- 
dom in  the  choice  of  sin  renders  him  wholly  inexcusible. 

4th.  The  preacher  must  show  that  the  moral  blind- 
ness of  the  sinner,  leads  him  to  view  sin  as  a  mere 
trifle,  while  God  with  his  perfect  holiness,  regards  it 
exceedingly  wicked,  and  deserving  of  a  most  fearful  pen- 
alty. 

5  M.  He  must  aim  to  make  the  pharisaic  'nv^ralist 
realize  the  aggravating  sin  of  ivorldliness. 

6th.  He  must  consider  that  many  remain  insensible 
to  the  claims  of  religiorf  because  they  have  some  un- 
finished j9^^7^s/o?'  gain^  or  of  criminal  indulgence. 

All  such  obstacles  must  be  removed  as  far  as  possible 

in  preparing  the  way,  that  the  sinner  may  more  fully 

realize   the   immediate   and   imperative  claims  of  the 

Gospel. 

6 


62  GUILT  OF  MORALISTS. 

And  under  my  second  general  division,  I  observe 
that  the  successful  preacher  must  keep  in  mind  the  sus- 
ceptibilities on  which  the  call  to  repentance  may  act 
with  greater  force. 

1st.  He  must  appeal  to  reason.  2d.  To  conscience, 
3d.  To  the  emotions y  hopes  and  fears. 

Then  let  him  inquire  what  does  the  Gospel  furnish, 
adapted  to  produce  repentance. 

1st.  The  Gospel  comes  to  men  under  the  full  benefit 
of  a  concession  to  its  demands. 

2d.  And  with  this  assumption  the  preacher  must 
enforce  the  terrors  and  demands  of  the  law. 

3d.  He  must  approach  men  with  all  the  proofs  of 
revelation,  for  the  end  of  these  things  is  to  make  them 
feel  their  guilt. 

4th.  The  history  of  the  world  shows  that  men  are 
guilty,  and  the  guilty  must  suffer. 

5th.  The  preacher  must  show  them  how  the  siffer- 
ings  and  death  of  Christ  are  adapted  to  m^ake  them  feel 
their  guilt. 

6th.  And  then  he  should  brings  before  them  the 
scenes  of  the  judgment,  and  they  will  be  constrained  to 
inquire  with  real  earnestness  as  they  did  on  the  day  of 
Pentacost.     "  Men  and  brethren  what  must  we  do  ?  " 

Note. — It  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  achievements  in 
preaching,  to  deeply  impress  the  more  amiable  and 
moral  of  the  community  in  their  relations  with  men, 
of  their  absolute  wickedness  in  the  sight  of  the  "  Searcher 
of  hearts.''  But  in  the  employment  of  truth,  by  the 
illuminating  influence  of  the  Holy  Ghost  it  may  be  done. 

Saul  of  Tarsus,  before  he  was  enlightened  on  his  way 


GUILT  OF  MORALISTS.  63 

to  Damascus,  was  really  sincerej  conscientious ^  and 
moral,  but  when  he  realized  his  true  condition  as  a  sin- 
ner, he  said  "  I  was  alive  without  the  law  once,  but 
when  the  commandment  came,  sin  revived,  and  I  died." 

SINS  OF  OMISSION. 

The  great  guilt  of  all  classes  who  are  merely  amiable 
m/yralists,  consists  chiefiy  in  sins  of  omissiwi.  ^^  All 
have  sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God,''  and 
are  under  the  condemnation  of  the  divine  law.  He 
only  can  enter  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  that  doeth  the 
will  of  ''  My  Father  which  is  in  Heaven."  In  the  day 
of  judgment  they  will  be  condemned  for  having  neglected 
the  positive  service  of  God. 

The  foolish  virg^ins  will  then  be  charc^ed  with'  havinof 
neglected  to  procure  oil  in  their  lamps.  The  unfaithful 
servant  will  then  be  condemned  for  having  neglected  the 
right  improvement  of  his  one  talent.  And  for  such 
omissions  the  Master  will  say,  "  Cast  ye  the  unprofitable 
servant  into  outer  darkness."  And  the  charg^e  ag^ainst 
the  condemned  in  the  last  Great  Day,  will  be  for  neg- 
lecting to  feed  the  hungry,  clothe  the  naked,  and  visit 
the  sick. 

"  I  say  unto  you  inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  of 
these  my  brethren,  ye  did  it  not  to  me." 

And  it  appears,  from  the  teachings  of  the  Scriptures, 
that  the  sin  of  unbelief,  at  the  final  judgment,  will  be 
seen  to  have  been  emphatically  the  greatest  of  sins,  "  I 
tell  jT'ou  the  truth,"  says  our  Lord,  "  when  he,  the  Com- 
forter, is  come,  he  will  reprove  the  world  of  sin,  and  of 
righteousness,  and  of  judgment.  Of  sin  because  they 
believe  not  on  me," 


64  GUILT  OF  MORALISTS. 

Men  are  condemned  already,  and  will  be  condemned 
at  last,  not  merely  for  positive  transgressions,  but  for 
having  neglected  to  trust  in  Christ,  as  their  Saviour, 
from  sin  and  its  dreadful  ^penalty. 

We  are  all  required  to  love  God  supremely,  and  our 
neighbor  impartially  as  ourselves,  to  repent  of  all  sin, 
to  believe  in  our  Lord's  sacrificial  atonement,  ''  with  the 
heart  unto  righteousness,^'  to  search  the  Scriptures j  to 
pray  without  ceasing,  and  those  who  do  not  are  guilty  of 
sins  of  omission.  And  the  Divine  Master  saith  "  That 
except  your  righteousness  shall  exceed  the  righteousness 
of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  ve  shall  in  no  case  enter 
the  Kingdom  of  Heaven," 

As  there  is  but  one  way  to  be  saved  revealed  in  the 
Bible,  "  repentance  toward  God,  and  faith  toward  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  how  shall  we  escape  if  we  neglect  so 
great  salvation  ? ' ' — Compiler, 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE    SUCCESSFUL   PREACHER'S   REWARD. 

Rev.  Albert  Barnss. 

It  is  a  proof  of  the  favor  of  God,  that  ministers  are 
permitted  to  preach  the  Gospel  effectively. 

It  is  a  privilege  and  honOr  thus  to  preach.  It  is  an 
honor  far  above  that  of  conquerers,  and  he  who  does  it 
will  win  a  brighter  and  more  glorious  crown  than  he 
who  goes  forth  to  obtain  glory  by  dethroning  Kings,  and 
laying  nations  waste.  The  warrior's  path  is  marked  with 
blood  and  with  smouldering  ruins.  Yet  he  is  honored 
and  his  name  is  blazoned  abroad,  he  is  crowned  with 
laurel,  and  triumphal  arches  are  reared  and  monuments 
are  erected  to  perpetuate  his  fame. 

But  the  minister  of  Christ  who  preaches  the  Gospel 
effectively  is  the  minister  of  peace. 

He  tells  of  salvation  and  a  Heaven  of  blessedness. 
He  elevates  the  intellect,  he  moulds  the  heart  to  virtue, 
he  establishes  schools  and  colleges,  he  promotes  temper- 
ance and  chastity,  he  wipes  away  tears  and  tells  of 
Heaven. 

His  course  is  marked  by  intelligence  and  order,  by 

peace  and  purity,  by  the  joy  of  the  domestic  circle,  and 

the  happiness  of  a  virtuous  fireside,  by  consolation  on 
6* 


66  THE  SUCCESSFUL  PEEACHER'S  EEWAHD. 

the  bed  of  pain,  and  by  the  hopes  of  Heaven  that  cheer 
the  dying. 

Who  would  not  rather  be  a  successful  preacher  of  the 
glorious  Gospel  of  the  blessed  God  than  have  the  honors 
of  a  blood-stained  warrior  ? 

Who  would  not  rather  have  the  wreath  that  shall 
encircle  the  brow  of  the  successful  minister  of  Christ, 
than  the  ephemeral'  laurels  of  Alexander  and  Csesar  ? 

In  view  of  such  a  reward  said  the  faithful  Apostle  of 
the  Gentiles  "  There  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  right- 
eousness, which  the  Lord  the  righeous  Judge  shall  give 
me  at  that  day." 

A  crown  won  in  the  cause  of  righteousness,  and  con- 
ferred as  the  reward  of  conflicts  and  efforts  in  the  cause 
of  holiness,  in  spreading  the  principles  of  holiness  as 
far  as  possible  through  the  world. 

**  There  is  a  crown  of  dazzling  light, 

Which  he  shall  surely  win, 
Who  clad  with  heavenly  panoply, 
Has  triumphed  over  sin. 

The  preacher's  crown — what  priceless  gems 

Triumphant  he  shall  wear ; 
Of  wanderer's  saved  from  death  and  gin, 
And  placed  by  Jesus  there. 

Wlien  those  of  earth  have  crumbled  all 

To  dust  and  past  away, 
This  brilliant  gem  forever  shines 

In  realms  of  endless  day. 

Who  would  not  wear  this  diadem 

Of  life,  and  bliss,  and  peace ; 
Who  would  not  press  to  gain  a  prize 

Whose  glory  ne'er  shall  cease?  " 


CHAPTER  XII. 
CLEARNESS    OF   STYLE  IN  PREACHING. 

Rev.  Albert  Barnes. 

Preaching  should  be  simple  and  intelligible.  It 
should  not  be  dry  and  abstruse,  metaphysical,  remote 
from  the  common  manner  of  expression,  and  the  com- 
mon habits  of  thousfht  among  men. 

The  preaching  of  th.e  Lord  Jesus  was  simple,  and  in- 
telligible even  to  a  child.  The  most  successful  preach- 
ers have  been  those  who  have  been  most  remarkable  for 
their  simplicity  and  clearness.  Nor  is  simplicity  and 
intellio^ibleness  of  manner  inconsistent  with  brisht 
thought  and  profound  sentiments.  A  diamond  is  the 
most  pure  of  all  minerals ;  a  river  may  be  deep,  and 
yet  its  water  so  pure  that  the  bottom  may  be  seen  at  a 
great  depth  ;  and  glass  in  the  window  is  most  valuable, 
the  clearer  and  purer  it  is,  when  it  is  itself  least  seen, 
and  when  it  gives  no  obstruction  to  the  light.  If  the 
purpose  is  that  the  glass  may  be  itself  an  ornament,  it 
may  be  well  to  stain  it ;  if  to  give  light,  it  should  be 
pure.  A  very  shallow  stream  may  be  very  muddy  ;  and 
because  the  bottom  cannot  be  seen,  it  is  no  evidence 
that  it  is-  deep. 


68  CLEARNESS  OF  STYLE  IN  PREACHING. 

So  it  is  with  style.  If  the  purpose  is  to  convey 
thought,  to  enlighten  and  save  the  soul,  the  style 
should  be  plain  and  simple  and  pure. 

If  it  be  to  bewilder  and  confound,  or  be  admired  as 
unintelligible,  or  perhaps  as  profound,  then  an  abstruse 
and  metaphysical,  or  a  flowery  manner  may  be  adopted 
in  the  pulpit. 

Preaching  should  always  be  characterized  indeed  by 
good  sense,  and  ministers  should  show  that  they  are  not 
fools,  and  their  preaching  should  be  such  as  to  interest 
thinking  men — for  there  is  no  folly  or  nonsense  in  the 
Bible.  But  their  preaching  should  not  be  obscure, 
metaphysical,  enigmatical,  and  abstruse.  It  should  be 
so  simple  that  the  unlettered  may  learn  the  plan  of 
salvation ;  so  plain  that  no  one  shall  mistake  it  except 
by  his  own  fault.  The  hopes  of  the  Gospel  are  so  clear 
that  there  is  no  need  of  ambiguity  or  enigma  ;  no  need 
of  abstruse  metaphysical  reasoning  in  the  pulpit.  Nor 
should  there  be  an  attempt  to  appear  wise  or  profound, 
by  studying  a  dry,  abtruse,  and  cold  style  and  manner. 
The  preacher  should  be  open,  plain,  simple,  sincere  ;  he 
should  testify  what  he  feels  ;  should  be  able  to  speak  as 
himself  animated  by  hope,  and  to  tell  of  a  world  of  glory 
to  which  he  is  himself  looking  forward  with  unspef^kable 

joy. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
THE   FAITHFUL  PREACHER'S    CHIEF    OBJECT. 

Rev.  Albert  Barnes. 

"  He  that  hath  my  word,  let  him  speak  my  word 
faithfully,"  saith  the  prophet,  "for  I  seek  not  yours, 
but  you. 

**  Ministers  of  the  Gospel  who  preach  as  they  should 
do,  enofao^e  in  their  work  to  win  souls  to  Christ,  not  to 
induce  them  to  admire  eloquence ;  they  come  to  teach 
men  to  adore  the  great  and  dreadful  God,  not  to  be  loud 
in  their  praises  of  a  mortal  man.  They  should  not  aim 
to  be  admired.  They  should  seek  to  be  useful.  They 
should  seek  to  build  up  the  people  of  God  in  holy  faith 
and  the  conversion  of  sinners.  The  pulpit  is  the  last 
place  in  which  to  seek  admiration  for  mere  gracefulness 
of  manner,  or  mere  fervid  eloquence,  or  well  timed 
periods,  for  the  sake  of  securing  a  popular  reputation 
among  men." 

*'  For  we  preach  not  ourselves,  but  Christ  Jesus 
the  Lord." 

We  are  merely  the  ambassadors  of  another.  We  are 
not  principals  in  this  business,  and  do  not  dispatch  it  as 
a  business  of  our  own,  but  we  transact  it  as  the  agents 


70         THE  FAITHFUL  PREACHER'S  CHIEF  OBJECT. 

for  anotlier,  i.  e.  for  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  we  feel  our- 
selves bound,  therefore,  to  do  it  as  he  would  have  done 
it  himself ;  and  as  he  was  free  from  all  trick  and  dis- 
honest art,  we  feel  bound  to  be  also. 

Ministers  may  be  said  to  preach  themselves  in  the 
following  ways  : 

1st.  When  their  preaching  has  a  primary  reference 
to  their  own  interest ;  and  when  they  engage  in  it  to 
advance  their  reputation,  or  to  secure  in  some  way  their 
own  advantage.  When  they  aim  at  exalting  their  au- 
thority, extending  their  influence,  or  in  any  way  promot- 
ing their  own  welfare. 

2d.  When  they  proclaim  their  own  opinions  and  not 
the  gospel  of  Christ ;  when  they  derive  their  doctrines 
from  their  own  reasonings,  and  not  from  tlie  Bible. 

3d.  When  they  put  themselves  forward  ;  speak  much 
of  themselves ;  refer  often  to  themselves ;  are  vain  of 
their  powers  of  reasoning,  of  their  eloquence,  and  of 
their  learning,  and  seek  to  make  these  known  rather 
than  the  simple  truth  of  the  gospel.  In  one  word,  when 
self  is  primary,  and  the  gospel  is  secondary ;  when  they 
prostitute  the  ministry  to  gain  popularity ;  to  live  a  life 
of  ease  ;  to  be  respected  ;  to  obtain  a  livelihood  ;  to  gain 
influence ;  to  rule  over  a  people ;  and  to  make  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel  merely  an  occasion  of  advanc- 
ing themselves  in  the  world. 

PROOFS   OF  THE   TRUTH  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 

*'  But  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord.''  This  Paul  states  to  be 
the  only  purpose  of  the  ministry.  It  is  so  far  the  sole 
design  of  the  ministry  that  had  it  not  been  known  to  the 
Lord  Jesus,  it  would  never  have  been  established  ;  and 


THE  FAITHFUL  PREACHER'S  CHIEF  OBJECT.        71 

whatever  otlier  objects  are  secured  by  its  appointment, 
and  whatever  other  truths  are  to  be  illustrated  and  en- 
forced by  the  ministry,  yet,  if  this  is  not  the  primary 
subject,  and  if  every  other  object  is  not  made  subser- 
vient to  this,  the  desi^  of  the  ministry  is  not  secured. 

The  Apostles,  thererore  made  it  their  sole  business^  to 
make  known  Jesus  the  Messiah,  or  the  Christ,  as  the 
supreme  head  and  Lord  of  the  people  ;  i.  e.  to  set  forth 
the  Messiahship  and  the  lordship  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
appointed  to  these  high  offices  by  God.  To  do  this,  or 
to  preach  Jesus  Christ  the  Lord,  implies  the  following 
things  : 

]  st.  To  prove  that  he  is  the  Messiah  so  often  predic- 
ted in  the  Old  Testament,  and  so  long  expected  by  the 
Jewish  people.  To  do  this  was  a  very  vital  part  of  the 
work  of  the  ministry  in  the  time  of  the  apostles,  and 
most  essential  to  their  success  in  all  their  attempts  to 
convert  the  Jews  ;  and  to  do  this  will  be  no  less  impor- 
tant in  all  attempts  to  biing  the  Jews  now  or  in  future 
times  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  No  man  can  be 
successful  among  them  who  is  not  able  to  prove  that 
Jesus  is  the  Messiah. — It  is  not  indeed  so  vital  and  lead- 
ing a  point  now  in  reference  to  those  to  whom  the  min- 
isters of  the  gospel  usually  preach ;  and  it  is  probable 
that  the  importance  of  this  argument  is  by  many  over- 
looked, and  that  it  is  not  urged  as  it  should  be  by  those 
who  "  preach  Christ  Jesu&  the  Lord."  It  involves  the 
whole  argument  for  the  truth  of  Christianity.  It  leads 
to  all  the  demonstrations  that  this  religion  is  from  God ; 
and  the  establishment  of  the  proposition  that  Jesus  is 
the  Messiah,  is  one  of  the  most  direct  and  certain  ways 
of  proving  that  his  religion  is  from  heaven.     For  (a) 


72        THE  FAITHFUL  PREACHER'S   CHIEF  OBJECT. 

It  contains  the  argument  from  the  fulfilment  of  the  pro- 
phecies— one  of  the  main  evidences  of  the  truth  of  rev- 
elation ;  and  (h)  It  involves  an  examination  of  all  the 
evidences  that  Jesus  gave  that  he  was  the  Messiah  sent 
from  God,  and  of  course  an  examination  of  all  the  mira- 
cles that  he  wrought  in  attestatidl  of  his  divine  mission. 
Th5  first  object  of  a  preacher,  therefore,  is  to  demon- 
strate that  Jesus  is  sent  from  God  in  accordance  with 
the  predictions  of  the  prophets. 

DOCTRINES  OF  CHRIST. 

2d.  To  proclaim  the  truths  that  he  taught.  To  make 
known  his  sentiments,  and  his  doctrines,  and  not  our 
own.  This  includes,  of  course,  all  that  he  taught  re- 
specting God,  and  respecting  man  ;  all  that  he  taught 
respecting  his  own  nature,  and  the  design  of  his  coming, 
all  that  he  taught  respecting  the  character  of  the  human 
heart,  and  about  human  obligation  and  duty ;  all  that 
he  taught  resjoecting  death,  the  judgment  and  eternity — 
respecting  an  eternal  heaven,  and  an  eternal  hell.  To 
explain,  enforce,  and  vindicate  his  doctrines,  is  one  great 
design  of  the  ministry ;  and  were  there  nothing  else, 
this  would  be  a  field  sufficiently  ample  to  employ  the  ■ 
life  ;  sufficiently  glorious  to  employ  the  best  talents  of 
man.  The  minister  of  the  gospel  is  to  teach  the  senti- 
ments and  doctrines  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  contradistinction 
from  all  his  own  sentiments,  and  from  all  the  doctrines 
of  mere  philosophy.  He  is  not  to  teach  science,  or  mere 
morals,  but  he  is  to  proclaim  and  defend  the  doctrines 
of  the  Eedeemer. 

EXAMPLE   OF  CHRIST. 

3d.    He  is  to  make  known  the  facts  of  the  Saviour's  life. 


THE  FAITHFUL  PEEACHER'S   CHIEF  OBJECT.         73 

He  is  to  show  how  he  lived — to  hold  up  his  example  in 
all  the  trying  circumstances  in  which  he  was  placed. 
For  he  came  to  show  by  his  life  wh^  the  law  required  ; 
and  to  show  how  men  should  live.  And  it  is  the  office  of 
the  Christian  ministry,  or  a  part  of  their  work  in  preach, 
ing  "  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord,"  to  show  how  he  lived,  and  to 
set  forth  his  self-deoial,  his  meekness,  his  purity,  his 
blameless  life,  his  spirit  of  prayer,  his  submission  to  the 
divine  will,  his  patience  in  suffering,  his  forgiveness  of 
his  enemies,  his  tenderness  to  the  afflicted,  the  weak, 
and  the  tempted  ;  and  the  manner  of  his  death.     Were 
this  all,  it  would  be  enough  to  employ  the  whole  of  a 
minister's  life,  and  to  command  the  best  talents  of  the 
world.     For  he  was  the  only  perfectly  pure  model ;  and 
his  example  is  to  be  followed  by  all  his  people,  and  his 
example  is  designed  to  exert  a  deep  and  wide  influence 
on  the  world.     Piety  flourishes  just  in  proportion  as  the 
pure  example  of  Jesus  Christ  is  kept  before  a  people ; 
and  the  world  is  made  happier  and  better  just  as  that 
example  is  kept  constantly  in  view.     To  the  gay  and  the 
thoughtless,  the  ministers  of  the  s^ospel  are  to  show  how 
seriovis  and  calm  was  the  Redeemer ;   to  the  worldly- 
minded,  to  show  how  he  lived  above  the  world ;  to  the 
avaricious,  how  benevolent  he  was  ;  to  the  profane  and 
licentious,  how  pure  he  was ;  to  the  tempted,  how  he  en- 
dured   temptation  ;    to   the   afflicted,   how  patient  and 
resigned ;  to  the  dying,  how  he  died : — to  all,  to  show 
how  holy,  and  heavenly-minded,  and  prayerful,  and  pure 
he  was  ;  in  order  that  they  may  be  won  to  the  same 
purity,  and  be  prepared  to  dwell  with  him  in  his  king- 
dom. 


74         THE  FAITHFUL  PREACHER'S  CHIEF  OBJECT. 

SUFFERINGS   AND  DEATH. 

4tli.  To  set  forth  the  design  of  his  death.  To  show  why 
he  came  to  die ;  and  what  was  the  great  object  to  be 
effected  by  his  sufferings  and  death.  To  exhibit,  there- 
fore, the  sorrows  of  his  life  ;  to  describe  his  many  trials  ; 
to  dwell  upon  his  sufferings  in  the  garden  of  Gethse- 
mane,  and  on  the  cross.  To  show  why  he  died,  and  what 
was  to  be  the  influence  of  his  death  on  the  destiny  of 
man.  To  show  how  it  makes  an  atonement  for  sin ;  how 
it  reconciles  God  to  man  ;  how.  it  is  made  efficacious  in 
the  justification  and  the  sanctification  of  the  sinner. 
And  were  there  nothing  else,  this  would  be  sufficient  to 
employ  all  the  time,  and  the  best  talents  in  tl)^  ministry. 
For  the  salvation  of  the  soul  depends  on  the  proper  ex- 
hibition of  the  design  of  the  death  of  the  Redeemer. 
There  is  no  salvation  but  through  his  blood  ;  and  hence 
the  nature  and  design  of  his  atoning  sacrifice  is  to  be 
exhibited  to  every  man,  and  the  offers  of  mercy  through 
that  death  to  be  pressed  upon  the  attention  of  every 

sinner. 

RESURRECTION. 

5th.  To  set  forth  the  truth  and  the  design  of  his  resur- 
rection. To  prove  that  he  rose  from  the  dead,  and  that  he 
ascended  to  heaven  ;  and  to  show  the  influence  of  his 
resurrection  on  our  hopes  and  destiny.  The  whole 
structure  of -Christianity  is  dependent  on  making  out 
the  fact  that  he  rose ;  and  if  he  rose,  all  the  difficulties 
in  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  are  re- 
moved at  once,  and  his  people  will  also  rise.  The  influ- 
ence of  that  fact,  therefore,  on  our  hopes  and  on  our 
prospects  for  eternity,  is  to  be  shown  by  the  ministry  of 
the  gospel ;  and  were  there  nothing  else,  this  would  be 


THE  FAITHFUL  PREACHER'S   CHIEF  OBJECT,         75 

ample  to  command  all  the  time,  and  tlie  best  talents  of 
the  ministry.   _ 

CHRIST'S   SUPREME   AUTHORITY. 

6th,  To  proclaim  him  as  "  Lord."  This  is  expressly 
specified  in  the  passage  before  us.  "  For  we  preach  Christ 
Jesus  THE  Lord  ;  "  we  proclaim  him  as  the  Lord.  That 
is,  he  is  to  be  preached  as  having  dominion  over  the 
conscience ;  as  the  supreme  Ruler  in  his  Church ;  as 
above  all  councils,  and  synods,  and  conferences,  and  all 
human  authority  ;  as  having  a  right  to  legislate  for  his 
people  ;  a  right  to  prescribe  their  mode  of  worship  ;  a 
right  to  define  and  determine  the  doctrines  which  they 
shall  believe.  He  is  to  be  proclaimed  also  as  ruling 
over  all,  and  as  exalted  in  his  mediatorial  character 
over  all  worlds,  and  as  having  all  things  put  beneath 
his  feet. 


CHAPTEK  XIV. 

THE    MINISTRY   FOR   THE    TIMES. 

(extracts.) 
Rev.  Albert  Barnes. 

The  qualifications  for  the  ministry,  at  all  times,  and 
in  all  lands,  are  essentially  the  same  :  a  pious  heart,  a 
prudent  mind,  a  sober  judgment,  well-directed  and  glow- 
ing zeal,  self-denial,  simplicity  of  aim,  and  deadness  to  the 
world  ;  but  that  these  qualifications  are  to  be  somewhat 
modified  by  the  peculiarities  of  each  age  ;  and  that  the 
ftge  in  which  men  live  must  be  studied  in  order  that  they 
may  make  "  full  proof  of  their  ministry." 

What  are  the  qualifications  for  the  ministry  which 
are  peculiarly  demanded  by  our  times  and  country  ? 
What  should  be  the  grand  aim  of  the  ministry  ?  For 
what  should  the  ministers  of  the  gospel  be  peculiarly 
distino^uished  ? 

1st.  The  times  in  which  we  live  demand  of  the  min- 
istry a  close,  and  patient,  and  honest  investigation  of  the 
Bible.  The  truths  which  the  ministry  is  to  present  are 
to  be  derived  from  the  word  of  God, 

The  age  in  which  we  live  is  not,  as  it  seems  to  me, 


THE  MINISTRY  FOR  THE   TIMES.  77 

distinguished  for  simple  and  direct  appeals  to  the  Bible, 
in  defence  of  the  doctrines  of  religion. 
.  By  many  it  is  held  or  rather  felty  that  the  system  of 
religious  doctrine  has  been  settled  by  the  investigations 
of  the  past;  that  there  is  no  hope  of  discovering  any 
new  truth  ;  that  theology,  as  now  held,  is  not  suscepti- 
ble of  improvement ;  that  the  whole  field  has  been  dug 
over  and  over  again  with  instruments  as  finished  as  our 
own,  and  by  as  keen-sighted  laborers  as  any  of  the  pres- 
ent age  can  be  ;  and  that  it  is  presumption  for  a  man  to 
hope  to  find  in  those  mines  a  new  gem  that  would  spar- 
kle in  the  grown  of  truth. 

But  can  there  be  any  improvement  in  theology  ?  Can 
there  be  any  a.dvance  made  on  the  discoveries  of  other 
times  ?  Is  it  not  presumptuous  for  us  to  hope  to  see 
what  the  keen- sighted  vision  of  other  times  has  not  seen  ? 
Is  not  the  system  of  theology  perfect  as  it  came  from 
God  ?  I  answer,  yes.  And  so  was  astronomy  a  perfect 
system  when  the  "morning  stars  sang  together;"  but 
it  is  one  thing  for  the  system  to  be  perfect  as  it  came 
from  God,  and  another  for  it  to  be  perfect  as  it  appears 
in  the  form  in  which  we  hold  it. 

So  were  the  sciences  of  botany,-  and  chemistry,  and 
anatomy  perfect  as  they  came  from  God ;  but  ages  have 
been  required  to  understand  them  as  they  existed  in  His 
mind ;  and  other  ages  may  yet  furnish  the  means  of  im- 
provement on  those  systems  as  held  by  man.  So  God 
has  placed  the  gold  under  ground,  and  the  pearls  at  the 
bottom  of  the  sea  for  man — perfect  in  their  nature  as 
they  came  from  his  hand.  Has  all  the  gold  been  dug 
from  the  mines  ?  have  all  the  pearls  been  fished  from 
the  bottom  of  the  ocean  ?  The  whole  system  of  science 
7* 


78  THE  MINISTRY  FOR  THE  TIMES. 

was  as  perfect  in  the  mind  of  God  as  the  system  of  re- 
vealed truth  ;  yet  all  are  given  to  man  to  be  sought  out ; 
to  be  elaborated  by  the  process  of  ages  ;  to  reward  hu- 
man diligence,  and  to  make  man  a  "  co-worker  with 
God."  "  Truth  is  the  daughter  of  time  ;  "  and  is  to  be 
assumed  that  all  the  truth  is  now  known  ?  That  there 
is  no  error  in  the  views  with  which  we  now  hold  it  ? 
That  ail  is  known  of  the  power  of  truth  yet  on  the  hu- 
man soul  ? 

I  am  now  speaking  of  the  ministry,  and  not  of  theol- 
ogy in  general ;  and  I  am  urging  to  the  study  of  the 
Bible  with  a  view  to  a  more  successful  preaching  of  the 
gospel.  It  seems  to  me  that  as  yet  we  know  compara- 
tively little  of  the  power  of  preaching  the  truths  of  the 
Bible. 

That  man  has  gained  much  as  a  preacher  who  is  wil- 
ling to  investigate,  by  honest  rules,  the  meaning  of  the 
Bible,  and  then  to  suffer  the  truth  of  God  to  speak  out — 
no  matter  where  it  leads,  and  no  matter  on  what  man, 
or  customs,  or  systems  it  impinges.    Let  it  take  its  course 
like  an  unobstructed  stream,  or  like  a  beam  of  light  di- 
rect from  the  sun  to  the  eyes  of  men.     But  when  we 
seek  to  make  embankments  for  the  stream,  to  confine  it 
within  channels,   such  as  we  choose,  how  much  of  its 
beauty  is  lost,  and  how  often  do  we  obstruct  it !     When 
we  interpose  media  between  us  and  the  pure  light  of  the 
sun  that  we  deem  ever  so  clear,  how  often  do  we  turn 
aside  the  rays  or  divide  the  beam  into  scattered  rays 
that  may  make  a  pretty  picture,  but  which  prevent  the 
full  glory  of  the  unobstructed  sun  ! 

There  is  a  power  yet  to  be  seen  in  preaching  the  Bible 
which  the  world  has  not  fully  understood  ;  and  he  does 


THE  MINISTEY  FOR   THE  TIMES.  79 

an  incalculable  service  to  his  own  times  and  to  the  world, 
who  derives  the  truths  which  he  inculcates  directly  from 
the  Book  of  life.  Besides,  the  Bible  is  receivinsf  con. 
stant  illustrations  and  confirmations  from  every  science, 
and  from  every  traveler  into  the  oriental  world.  Not  a 
man  comes  back  to  us  from  the  east  who  does  not  give  us 
some  new  illustration  of  the  truth  or  the  beauty  of  the 
Bible. 

2d.  The  times  in  which  we  live  demand  a  ministry 
that  shall  be  distins^uished  for  sound  and  solid  learning. 
Never,  indeed,  can  this  qualification  be  safely  dispensed 
with ;  but  there  is  not  a  little  in  our  age  and  country 
that  peculiarly  demands  it.  In  no  nation  on  the  face 
of  the  eai^h  has  there  been  a  more  prevailing  and  per- 
manent conviction  that  this  was  an  important,  if  not  an 
essential  qualification  for  the  ministry,  than  in  our  own ; 
and  to  this  conviction,  and  the  natural  result  of  that 
conviction  in  preparing  the  ministry  for  its  work,  is  to 
be  traced  no  small  measure  of  the  respect  shown  to  the 
sacred  office  in  our  land. 

But  it  is  with  reference  to  the  office  of  Pastor ;  to  the 
work  of  the  ministry ;  to  the  business  of  saving  souls, 
that  I  now  urge  the  argument  that  the  times  demand  a 
ministry  that  shall  be  distinguished  for  solid  learning. 
And  I  am  not  ignorant  of  the  objections  which  may  be 
felt  and  urged  to  these  remarks.  I  know  it  may  be 
asked  how  is  time  to  be  found  for  these  attainments  ? 
How  shall  health  be  secured  for  these  objects?  And 
another  question,  not  less  important,  how  shall  the  heart 
be  kept,  and  the  fire  of  devotion  be  maintained,  brightly 
burninor  on  the  altar  of  the  heart,  while  making  these 
preparations  \ 


80  THE  MINISTRY  FOR  THE  TIMES. 

The  sum  of  my  remarks  is,  that  we  may  not  in  this 
age  have  learned  the  art  of  making  full  proof  of  our 
ministry,  there  may  be  a  blending  of  study,  and  piety, 
and  pastoral  fidelity  such  as  shall  greatly  augment  the 
usefulness  of  those  who  minister  at  the  altar. 

3d.  The  times  demand  a  ministry  of  sober  views ; 
of  settled  habits  of  industry  ;  of  plain,  practical  good 
sense  ;  of  sound  and  judicious  modes  of  thinking  ;  a 
ministry  that  shall  be  patient,  equable,  persevering,  and 
that  shall  look  for  success  in  the  proper  results  of  patient 
toil. 

The  age  demands  a  ministry  distinguished  for  sober 
industry.  There  is  enough  to  accomplish  to  demand  all 
the  time,  and  it  cannot  be  accomjolished  by  naere  genius, 
or  by  fitful  efforts.  It  must  be  by  patient  toil.  An  in- 
dustrious  man,  no  matter  what  his  talents,  will  always 
make  himself  respectable ;  an  indolent  man,  no  matter 
what  his  genius,  never  can  be. 

In  the  ministr}^,  pre-eminently,  no  man  should  pre- 
sume on  his  genius,  or  talents,  or  superiority  to  the  mass 
of  minds  around  him.  A  man  owes  his  best  efforts  to 
his  people,  and  to  his  master ;  to  the  one  by  a  solemn 
compact  when  he  becomes  their  pastor,  to  the  other  by 
sacred  covenant  when  deeply  feeling  the  guilt  of  sin 
and  the  grateful  sense  of  pardon,  he  gave  himself  to  the 
great  Eedeemer  in  the  ministry  of  reconciliation.  An 
idle  man  in  the  ministry  is  a  violator  of  at  least  two 
sacred  compacts  ;  and  upon  such  a  man  God  will  not, 
does  not  smile. 

4th.  The  times  demand  men  in  the  ministry  who 
shall  be  the  warm  and  unflinching  advocates  of  every 
good  cause. 


THE  MINISTRY  FOR   THE   TIMES.  81 

1st.  Men  are  required  who  shall  have  so  well-settled 
aud  iDtelli2:ent  views  of  truth  as  not  to  be  afraid  of  the 
examination  of  any  opinion,  or  afraid  to  defend  any  sen, 
timeDt  which  is  in  accordance  with  the  word  of  God. 
They  should  be  men  of  such  independence  ot  mind,  that 
they  will  examine  every  subject,  and  every  opinion  that 
may  be  submitted  to  them,  or  on  which  they  may  be 
called  to  act. 

The  man  of  God  is  to  enter  the  pulpit  with  his  Bible 
as  his  guide,  and  is  to  be  unawed  in  its  exposition  by  any 
great  names ;  by  any  fear  of  personal  violence  ;  by  any 
decrees  of  councils ;  or  by  any  laws  which  this  world 
can  ever  promulgate  to  fetter  the  freedom  of  t^iought. 
There,  at  least,  is  to  be  one  place  where  truth  may  be 
examined,  and  where  the  voice  of  God  may  be  heard  in 
our  world ;  and  there,  as  long  as  he  who  holds  the  stars 
in  his  right  hand  shall  continue  life,  is  the  triith  to  shine 
forth  on  a  dark  world. 

2d.  Men  are  required  in  the  ministry  who  shall  be 
the  warm  and  decided  friends  of  the  temperance  refor- 
mation ;  and  whose  opinions  and  practice  on  this  subject 
shall  be  shaped  by  the  strictest  laws  of  morals.  For  this 
opinion,  the  reasons  are  plain.  The  temperance  reform 
is  one  of  the  features  of  the  ase-  Revolutions  do  not 
go  backward  ;  and  this  cause  is  destined,  it  is  believed, 
to  triumph,  and  ultimately  to  settle  down  on  the  princi- 
ples of  the  most  strict  morals. 

It  was  a  sage  remark  of  Jefferson,  that  no  good  cause 
is  undertaken  and  persevered  in,  which  does  not  ulti- 
mately overcome  every  obstacle  and  secure  a  final  tri- 
umph ;    and  if  anything  certain  respecting  the  future 


82         THE  MINISTRY  FOR  THE  TIMES. 

can  be  argued  from  the  past,  it  is  that  this  cause  will 
secure  an  ultimate  victory. 

3(1.  In  like  manner,  the  times  demand  a  ministry 
that  shall  be  unflinching  advocates  of  revivals  of  reli- 
gion. Such  men  lived  in  other  times  j  and  such  scenes 
blessed  the  land  where  Dayies,  and  Edwards,  and  Whit- 
field,  and  the  Tennents  lived. 

What  is  needed  now  is  the  ministry  of  men  who  have 
an  intelligent  faith  in  revivals  ;  who  have  no  fear  of  the 
effects  which  truth,  under  the  direction  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  shall  have  on  the  mind  ;  who  shall  so  far  under- 
stand the  philosophy  of  revivals  as  to  be  able  to  vindi. 
cate  them  when  assailed,  and  to  show  to  men  of 
intelligence  that  they  are  in  accordance  with  the  laws 
of  our  nature ;  and  whose  preaching  shall  be  such  as 
shall  be  fitted,  under  the  direction  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
to  secure  such  results  on  the  minds  of  men.  To  revivals 
of  religion  our  country  owes  more  than  to  all  other 
moral  causes  put  together ;  and  if  our  institutions  are 
preserved  in  safety,  it  must  be  by  such  extraordinary 
manifestations  of  the  presence  and  the  power  of  God. 

Our  sons  forsake  the  homes  of  their  fathers ;  they  wan- 
der away  from  the  place  of  schools  and  churches  to  the 
wilderness  of  the  west ;  they  go  from  the  sound  of  the 
Sabbath. bell,  and  they  forget  the  Sabbath  and  the  Bible, 
and  the  place  of  prayer ;  they  leave  the  place  where 
their  fathers  sleep  in  their  graves,  and  they  forget  the 
religion  which  sustained  and  comforted  them.  They  go 
for  gold,  and  they  wander  over  the  prairie,  they  fell  the 
forest,  they  ascend  the  stream  in  pursuit  of  it,  and  they 
trample  down  the  law  of  the  Sabbath  ;  and  soon,  too, 


THE  MINISTET  FOR  THE   TIMES.  83 

forget  the  laws  of  honesty  and  fair-dealing,  in  the  insat- 
iable love  of  gain. 

Meantime,  every  man,  such  is  our  freedom,  may  ad- 
vance any  sentiments  he  pleases.  He  may  defend  them 
by  all  the  power  of  argument,  and  enforce  them  by  all 
the  eloquence  of  persuasion.  He  may  clothe  his  corrupt 
sentiments  in  the  charms  of  verse,  and  he  may  make  a 
thousand  -cottages  beyond  the  mountains  re-echo  with 
the  corrupt  and  corrupting  strain.  He  may  call  to  his 
aid  the  power  of  the  press,  and  may  secure  a  lodgment 
for  his  infidel  sentiments  in  the  most  distant  habitation 
in  the  republic. 

What  can  meet  this  state  of  things,  and  arrest  the 
evils  that  spread  with  the  fleetness  of  the  courser  or  the 
wind  ?  What  can  pursue  and  overtake  these  wanderers 
but  revivals  of  religion — but  that  Spirit  which,  like  the 
wind,  acts  where  it  pleases  ?  Yet  they  must  be  pur- 
sued. If  our  sons  go  thus,  they  are  to  be  followed  and 
reminded  of  the  commands  of  God.  None  of  them  are 
to  be  suffered  to  go  to  any  fertile  vale  or  prairie  in  the 
west  without  the  institutions  of  the  gospel ;  nor  are  they 
to  be  suffered  to  construct  a  hamlet,  or  to  establish  a 
village,  or  to  build  a  city  that  shall  be  devoted  to  any 
other  God  than  the  God  of  their  fathers. 

By  all  the  self-denials  of  benevolence ;  by  all  the 
power  of  argument ;  by  all  the  implored  influences  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  they  are  to  be  persuaded  to  plant 
there  the  rose  of  Sharon,  and  to  make  the  wilderness 
and  the  solitary  place  to  be  glad,  and  the  desert  to  bud 
and  blossom  as  the  rose.  In  such  circumstances  God 
HAS  interposed ;  and  he  has  thus  blessed  our  own  land 
and  times  with  signal  revivals  of  religion. 


84  THE  MINISTRY  FOR  THE   TIMES. 

Our  whole  country,  thus  far,  has  been  guarded  and  pro- 
tected by  the  presence  of  the  Spirit  of  God ;  and 
"  American  revivals  "  have  been  the  objects  of  the  most 
intense  interest  among  those  in  other  lands  who  have 
sought  to  understand  the  secret  of  our  prrsperity.  That 
man  who  enters  the  pulpit  with  a  cold  heart  and  a 
doubtful  mind,  in  regard  to  such  works  of  grace ;  who 
looks  with  suspicion  on  the  means  which  the  Spirit  of 
God  has  appointed  and  blessed  for  this  object  in  past 
times ;  and  who  coincides  with  the  enemies  of  revivals 
in  denouncing  them  as  fanaticism,  understands  as  little 
the  history  of  Ms  own  country  as  he  does  the  laws  of  the 
human  mind  and  the  Bible,  and  lacks  the  spirit  which 
a  man  should  have  who  stands  in  an  American  pulpit. 

4th.  Men  are  required  who  shall  stand  up  as  the  firm 
advocates  of  missions,  and  of  every  proper  project  for 
the  world's  conversion.  That  great  design  of  bringing 
this  whole  world,  by  the  divine  blessing,  under  the  in- 
fluence of  Christian  truth,  is  one  of  the  strong  features 
of  the  age  ;  and  the  hope  and  expectation  of  it  has 
seized  upon  the  churches  with  a  tenacity  which  will  not 
be  relaxed. 

He  who  does  not  enter  on  this  work  prepared  to  de- 
vote his  talents  and  learning,  his  heart  and  bodily  powers 
to  the  advancement  of  this  cause,  has  not  the  spirit  of 
the  age,  and  falls  behind  the  times  in  which  he  lives. 

5th.  The  times  demand  men  in  the  ministry  who 
shall  be  men  of  peace.  The  period  has  arrived  in  the 
history  of  the  world  when  there  should  be  a  full  and 
fair  illustration  of  the  power  of  the  gospel  to  produce  a 
spirit  of  peace  in  the  hearts  of  all  the  ambassadors  of 
him  who  was  the  "  Prince  of  Peace." 


THE  MI^'ISTRY.FOR  THE  TIMES.  85 

There  is  now  needed  a  ministry  that  shall  "  follow 
after  the  things  that  make  for  peace  ;  "  where  there 
shall  be  mutual  confidence  and  charity  ;  where  there 
shall  be  candor  for  one  another's  imperfections ;  where 
there  shall  be  toleration  of  opinions  on  points  that  do 
not  affect  the  essentials  of  Christian  doctrine ;  and 
where  there  shall  be  harmony  of  view  and  action  on  the 
great  work  of  saving  the  world. 

REFORMATORY. 

Note. — And  much  of  the  preacher's  power  in  admin- 
istering God's  reproof  of  wickedness,  in  high  places  as 
well  as  among  the  common  people,  will  depend  upon 
the  boldness  and  courage  of  his  manner  as  an  ambas- 
sadyr  from  the  Court  of  Heaven.  "  Now,  when  they 
saw  the  boldness  of  Peter  and  John,  they  took  knowledge, 
of  them  that  they  had  been  with  Jesus." 

Preaching  needs  to  be  more  practical  in  teaching 
business  'men  what  is  right  on  the  principles  of  the 
golden  ride,  and  what  is  right  in  the  acquisition  and  use 
of  property.  And  families  need  to  be  taught  from  the 
pulpit  more  definitely  what  the  law  of  God  enjoins  in 
all  their  relations  to  each  other,  as  husbands  and  wives, 
parents  and  children.  And  the  people  need  now 
especially  to  be  impressed,  from  the  pulpit,  with  the 
fearful  guilt  of  the  'masses  in  perverting  the  holy  Sab- 
bath  to  a  holiday. 

For  if  the  sacred  rights  of  the  marriage  and  family 
relation^  and  the  sanctity  of  the  Sabbath  be  destroyed 
as  a  day  oi  public  worship,  how  fearful  must  the  conse- 
quences be  !  Certainly  attendance  upon  the  Sanctuary 
should  be  secured,  and  the  Sabbath  school  should  be  re- 
formed. It  should  be  changed  into,  or  united  with  a 
Young  People's  Bible  Service,  under  pastoral  super- 
vision with  his  closing  examination  and  instruction 
with  the  co-operation  of  the  superintendent  and  teachers. 
8 


86  THE   MINISTEY  FOR  TEE  TIMES. 

Still  further,  preaching  adapted  to  the  religious  wants 
of  these  times,  must  advocate  every  religious  and  inoral 
reform  v^hich  tends  to  glorify  God,  and  promote  the  sal- 
vation of  men.  The  preacher  should  "  reason  of  right- 
eousness, temperance  and  judgment  to  come,"  so  as  to 
make  all  who  indulge  the  grosser  vices,  tremble. 

And  in  these  times  ef  abounding  worldliness,  the  lines 
should  be  drawn  more  plainly  between  the  church  and 
the  world,  and  the  great  sin  and  danger  of  worldly  and 
fashionable  indulgences  should  be  exposed,  however  up- 
right the  people  may  be  in  point  of  common  morals. 
'•  For  the  friendship  of  the  world  is  enmity  with  God." 

From  the  pulpit,  in  these  times,  the  people  should 
be  shown  the  broad  distinction  "  between  the  righteous 
and  the  wicked,  between  him  that  serveth  God,  and  him 
that  serveth  Him  not." — Compiler. 

♦*  Would  I  describe  a  preacher,  such  as  Paul, 
Were  he  on  earth,  would  hear,  approve,  and  own, 
Paul  should  himself  direct  me.     I  would  trace 
His  master-strokes,  and  draw  from  his  design ; 
I  would  express  him  simple,  grave,  sincere ; 
In  doctrine  uncorrupt ;  in  language  plain, 
And  plain  in  manner,  decent,  solemn,  chaste. 
And  natural  in  gesture ;  much  impressed 
Himself,  as  conscious  of  his  awful  charge, 
And  anxious  mainly  that  the  flock  he  feeds 
May  feel  it  too ;  affectionate  in  look, 
And  tender  in  address,  as  well  becomes, 
A  messenger  of  grace  to  guilty  men."  , 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  REyiVAL  PREACHING  OF  DR.  NETTLETON. 

{  authorized  autobiography . ) 

Rev.  Lyman  Beecher,  D.  D. 

■"  The  power  of  his  preaching  included  many  things. 
It  was  highly  intellectual,  as  opposed  to  declamation  or 
oratorical,  pathetic  appeal,  to  imagination  or  the  emo- 
tions. It  was  discriminatingly  doctrinal,  giving  a  clear 
and  strong  exhibition  of  doctrines  denominated  Calvin- 
istic,  explained,  defined,  proved  and  applied,  and  objec- 
tions stated  and  answered.  It  was  deeply  experimental 
in  the  graphic  development  of  the  experience  of  saints 
and  sinners." 

But,  with  all 'this  intellectualization  and  discriminat- 
ing argument,  there  was,  in  some  of  his  sermons,  unsur- 
passed power  of  description,  which  made  the  subject  a 
matter  of  present  reality.  Such  was  his  sermon  on  the 
deluge,  one  evening,  in  a  village  a  few  miles  north  of 
Albany. 

It  was  in  a  very  large  and  crowded  hall,  and  the 
house  was  filled  with  consternation,  as  if  they  heard  the 
falling  of  the  rain,  the  roaring  of  the  waves,  the  cries  of 
the  drowning,  the  bellowing  of  cattle,  and  neighing  of 


88  REVIVAL  PREACHING  OF  DR.  NETTLETON. 

horses,  amid  the  darkness  and  desolation.  The  emotion 
rose  to  such  a  pitch  that  the  floor  seemed  to  tremble 
under  the  tones  of  his  deep  voice.  He  would  say,  point- 
ing with  his  finger,  "  Will  you  take  up  the  subject  im- 
mediately?" and  each  would  reply,  *' Yes,  sir!  Yes, 
sir !  "  as  if  Christ  was  speaking,  and  the  day  of  judg- 
ment had  come. 

But  there  was  another  thing  which  gave  accumulat- 
ing power  to  his  sermons.  They  were  adapted  to  every 
state  and  stage  of  a  revival,  and  condition  of  individual 
experience.. 

His  revivals  usually  commenced  with  the  church  in 
confessions  of  sin  and  reformation.  He  introduced  the 
doctrine  of  depravity,  and  made  direct  assaults  on  the 
conscience  of  sinners,  explained  regeneration,  and  cut  off 
self-righteousness,  and  enforced  immediate  repentance 
and  faith,  and  pressed  to  immediate  submission  in  the 
earlier  stages. 

Toward  the  close  he  had  a  set  of  sermons  to  guard 
sinners  against  drojDping  the  subject,  such  as  "  Putting 
the  hand  to  the  plow,"  "  Quenching  the  spirit,"  '^  When 
the  unclean  spirit  is  gone  out  of  a  man,"  etc.  To  this 
was  added  whatever  was  necessary  on  the  signs  of  self, 
deception  and  the  evidences  of  true  religion,  with  ser, 
mons  to  young  converts. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  REVIVAL  PREACHING  OF  LYMAN  BEECHER,  D.  D. 

(authorized  autobiography.) 

Mrs.  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe. 

As  to  his  preaching,  it  consisted  commonly  of  three 
parts :  first,  careful  explanatory  statement  concerning 
the  real  meaning  of  the  text  and  subject ;  second,  a 
logical  and  plain  argument  in  the  body  of  the  discourse, 
addressed  to  the  understanding,  and  third  a  passionate 
and  direct  appeal,  designed  to  urge  his  audience  to 
some  immediate,  practical  result. 

The  first  part  was  often  very  clear,  and  as  dry  and 

condensed    as   a    series    of    mathematical    axioms.     If 

preaching  upon  a  doctrine,  he  commenced  by  the  most 

clear  and  carefully  worded  statement  of  what  it  was  not 

and  what  it  was,  before  attempting  to  prove  or  disprove. 

It  very  often  happened  that  these  simple   statements 

disarmed  prejudice  and  removed  antipathy,   and  to  a 

people  somewhat  disposed  to  return  to  the  faith  of  their 

fathers,  if  they  could  see  their  way  clear,  (as  were  many 

of  the  Unitarians,)  rendered  the  succeeding  argument 

almost  needless. 

I  remember  the  introductory  statement  of  a  sermon 
8* 


90  REVIVAL  PliEACniNG  OF  LYMAN  BEECHER. 

on  the  doctrine  of  total  depravity,  in  which,  after  telling 
much  that  it  did  not  include,  he  reduced  it  simply  to 
this  proposition  :  That  men,  hy  nature,  do  not  love 
God  supremely,  and  their  neighbor  as  themselves. 

"All  that  is  cultivated  in  intellect  and  refined  in 
taste,  much  that  is  honorable  in  feeling  and  amiable  in 
social  relations,"  he  said,  "  we  concede.  The  temple  is 
beautiful,  but  it  is  a  temple  in  ruins ;  -the  divinity  has 
departed,  and  the  fire  on  the  altar  is  extinct." 

After  this  followed  the  scriptural  argument,  on  which 
he  always  and  unhesitatingly  relied,  without  a  shadow 
of  a  doubt  that  we  do  have,  in  our  English  translation, 
the  authoritative,  inspired  declarations  of  God.  Then 
came  the  answering  of  objections.  Here  he  was  con- 
versational, sprightly,  acute,  and  often  drew  the  laugh 
by  the  involuutary  suddenness  and  aptness  of  his  replies 
and  illustrations.  Easy  and  colloquial  in  his  dialect, 
he  carried  his  audience  with  him  through  this  part. 
They  were  stirred  up  and  enlivened,  and,  as  a  plain 
countryman  once  said,  "  He  says  it  so  that  you  feel  you 
could  have  said  it  all  yourself." 

Last  of  all  came  what  he  considered  the  heart  of  his 
discourse — the  pungent  application.  His  previous  ex- 
planation and  argument  he  regarded  as  a  mere  prepara. 
tion,  or  a  bridge  to  pass  over,  to  reach  the  effective  ap- 
peal. A  sermon  that  did  not  induce  anybody  to  do  any- 
-^  thing,  he  considered  a  sermon  thrown  away  ^ 

The  object  of  preaching,  in  his  view,  was  not  merely 
to  enlighten  the  understanding,  or  even  to  induce  pleas- 
ing and  devout  contemplation,  but  to  make  people  set 
about  a  thorough  change  of  heart  and  life.  These  clos- 
ing portions  of  his  sermons  were  the  peculiarity  of  his 


REVIVAL  PREACHING  OP  LYMAN  BEECHER.  91 

preaching.  He  warned,  he  entreated,  he  pleaded,  urg, 
ing  now  this  motive  and  now  that,  talking  as  if  his 
audience  were  one  individual,  whom  he  must,  before  he 
left  the  pulpit,  persuade  to  take  a  certain  step.  "  If 
these  things  are  so,"  he  would  say,  "you,  my  friend, 
have  neglected  this  matter  too  long.  Are  you  not  con. 
vinced  that  you  ought  to  do  something  now,  to-night, 
this  moment  i  Do  you  say,  '  What  shall  I  do  ?  '  One 
thing  I  will  tell  you,  that  if  you  do  not  do  something 
more  than  you  have,  you  will  be  lost.  That  you 
acknowledge,  do  you  not  ?  " 

Then,  changing  the  tone  of  his  voice  to  the  lowest  key 
of  personal  con¥>ersation,  he  would  say,  *'  Now,  there  is 
one  thing  you  can  do  :  You  can  resolve  before  God  from 
this  moment,  that  the  salvation  of  your  soul  shall  be 
'your  first  object,  and  that,  whatever  it  may  mean  to  be 
a  Christian,  you  will  nr)t  rest  till  you  are  one.  You  can 
do  that.  Are  you  not  conscious  that  you  can  ?  I  put  it 
to  you, — will  you  do  it?  You  cannot  refuse  without 
periling  your  salvation.  When  you  leave  this  place  to- 
night, you  can  avoid  distracting  conversation.  You  can 
preserve  this  resolve  as  carefully  as  you  would  shade  a 
lamp  which  the  winds  of  heaven  are  seeking  to  extin- 
guish. Will  you  do  it  ?  Will  you  go  to  some  solitary 
place  to-night,  and  there  kneel  down  and  pray  ?  You 
are  conscious  that  you  can  do  it.  Will  you  do  it?  Will 
you  open  your  Bible  and  read  a  chapter  ?  And  lest  you 
should  not  know  where  to  look,  I  will  tell  you.  Read 
the  first  chapter  of  Proverbs,  and  then  kneel  down,  con- 
fess your  sins,  and  try  to  give  yourself  to  God  for  the 
rest  of  your  life.  Then  seek  the  instruction  of  your 
minister,   or  Christian  friends ;  break  off  all  outward 


92  BEVITAL  PEEACHING  OF  LYMAN  BEECHEE. 

and  known  sins  ;  put  yourself  in  the  way  of  all  religious 
influences,  and  I  will  venture  to  say,  you  cannot  pursue 
this  course  a  fortnight,  a  week,  without  finding  a  new 
and  blessed  life  dawning  within  you." 

I  recollect  •one  sermon  that  he  preached  in  Boston, 
addressed  to  business  men,  those  who  luere  so  engrossed 
and  burdened  with  cares  that  they  were  tempted  to  feel 
that  they  could  not  give  the  time  necessary  to  become 
Christians.  The  practical  point  for  which  he  pleaded 
was,  that  they  would  come  to  a  resolution  to  give  half 
an  hour  a  day  to  religious  reading  and  prayer. 

He  plead  with  all  his  eloquence  for  this  one  thing. 
"  You  cannot  give  half  an  hour  this  week,  without  giv- 
ing an  hour  the  next ;  your  eternal  life  or  death  may 
turn  on  your  granting  or  refusing  this  one  thing." 

The  manv  business  men  who  became  members  of  his  * 
church,  attest  the  practical  value  of  this  style  of  appeal. 
As  he  preached,  he  watched  the  faces  of  his  hearers,  and 
when  he  saw  that   one   was  moved,  he  followed  him. 

"A —  B —  has  seemed  to  feel  a  good  deal,"  he  would 
say,  "  these  several  Sundays.  I  must  go  after  him. 
Somethincr  seems  to  block  his  wheels." 

Often  he  used  to  say  to  me,  speaking  of  one  and  an- 
olher  with  whom  he  had  been  talking,  "  I've  been  feel- 
ing round  to  find  where  the  block  is.  I  put  my  finger 
on  this  and  that,  and  it  don't  move  ;  but  sometimes  the 
Lord  helps  me,  and  I  touch  the  right  thing,  and  all  croes 
right." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE   MINISTERIAL   WORK. 

(college  couraxt.) 

Rev.  Hknrt  Ward  Beecher. 

Why  is  the  pulpit  less  strong  now  than  it  was  once  ? 
You  reply  :  *'Is  it  ?  "  I  do  not  think  that  there  are 
fewer  able  sermons  now  than  formerly,  though  I  be- 
lieve that  there  are  many  better-educated  peojDle. 

Men  think  that  the  rjuljDit  has  lost  its  power.  The 
pulpit  has  not ;  the  truth  is,  the  community  has  grown 
relatively  faster  than  the  minister.  The  church  was 
formerly  the  college  of  the  people,  but  now  the  minister 
is  shut  up  into  a  narrower  sphere,  many  of  his  former 
duties  having  been  distributed  to  other  aoencies,  such  as 
newspapers,  magazines,  etc.  ;  and  since  his  work  is  less 
difficult,  the  church  should  be  rewarded  with  better  ser- 
mons. 

The  first  and  fundamental  difficulty  to  a  young  min- 
ister when  entering  the  field  of  labor,  is  the  want  of  a 
deep  Christian  experience ;  for  though  a  man  may  have 
great  power  in  simply  teaching  morality^  and  though  he 
may  do  great  good  with,  his  power,  yet  he  does  not  know 
his  own  power  until  it  has  been  found  in  love  to  God 


94  THE  MINISTERIAL  WORK. 

and  to  his  fellow-men.  And  after  it  has  been  found,  the 
minister  preaches  from  his  very  soul.  Before,  he  did 
not  preach,  he  merely  gave  forth  so  much  theology, 
which  our  books  can  do. 

I  may  mention  in  connection  with  this,  the  custom  of 
binding  men  to  speak  from  written  discourse,  I  only 
call  this  lecturing,  not  preaching.  This  intolerable  bon- 
dage let  every  minister  avoid — let  him  not  be  shut  up 
in  such  narrow  limits,  having  no  more  power  than  a 
canal  whose  channel  is  dug  for  it. 

It  is  said  that  a  minister  who  speaks  extemporane- 
ously, grows  careless  and  cannot  express  his  thoughts  in 
such  good  language — but  we  do  not  wish  to  hear  merely 
words  that  go  to  the  head  and  not  to  the  heart,  destroy- 
ing the  enthusiasm,  animation  and  efflorescence  of  a 
speaker  who  has  a  dull  leaden  page  before  him. 

This  extemporaneous  speaking  is  personal  sympathy, 
and  has  great  power  in  this  world ;  so  our  thought 
should  be  in  preaching,  not  so  much  theoretically,  as 
"  God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten 
son  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish 
but  have  everlasting  life."  Jesus  came  into  the  world 
and  became  a  servant,  and  employed  Himself  unto 
death,  and  all  for  the  love  which  He  bore  to  men.  It 
is  this  love  we  should  strive  after,  so  that  we  can  be  more 
like  Jesus. 

The  Apostles  were  chosen  for  this  great  power  of  sym. 
pathy,  but  were  not  very  strong  men,  except  Paul, 
Christ  tells  us  that  our  hearts  should  yearn  after  Him. 
"  Follow  me  and  I  will  make  you  fishers  of  men,"  He 
says.  This  single  phrase  will  apply  to  us.  As  the  hun- 
ter makes  himself  master  of  natural  history,  becomes 


THE  MINISTEEIAL  WOEK.  95 

acquainted  with  the  forest,  knows  every  hiding-place  so 
that  he  can  run  down  the  game,  so  the  minister  should 
understand  men. 

0  if  you  would  fish  for  men  as  we  fish  for  fish !  We 
do  not  dig  nice  ponds  and  invite  the  trout  to  come  there, 
so  that  we,  standing  upon  the  banks  with  beautiful  poles 
and  exquisite  tackle,  may  catch  them.  We  go  where 
the  trout  are,  through  brambles  and  marshes,  soiling  and 
tearing  our  clothes — we  watch  for  them,  study  their 
whims  and  ways,  and  eagerly  persevere  until  we  have 
caught  them.  O,  would  that  ministers  would  fish  after 
men,  as  they  do  after  trout ! 

A  minister  should  be  a  fanatic  after  men,  and  care 
nothing  for  a  sermon,  however  good,  unless  it  catches 
them.  Christ  does  not  say  :  "I  will  make  you  fishers 
of  sermons." 

1  remark  further  :  How  should  young  ministers  know 
human  nature,  when  they  have  never  been  trained  to  it, 
when  they  have  not  had  an  opportunity  to  get  acquain- 
ted with  men,  after  having  been  three  years  in  the 
academy,  four  years  at  colloge,  and  three  at  the  theo- 
logical school  ?  Being  these  ten  or  twelve  years  away 
from  people  of  the  world,  in  a  scholastic  atmosphere 
pursuing  their  studies,  they  breed  a  class  feeling.  And 
when  they  are  ready  to  preach,  they  have  but  a  vague 
?dea  what  they  are  going  into  the  pulpit  for. 

If  ever  a  man  went  into  the  pulpit  and  preached 
thinking  he  had  done  no  good,  and  came  down  again 
determining  never  to  go  into  the  pulpit  again,  it  was  I. 

Most  young  ministers  go  into  a  parish  with  the  idea 
that  they  will  run  the  church — will  run  theology — will 


96  THE  MINISTEEIAL  WORK. 

preach  the  round  of  doctrines,  and  with  what  result  they 
will  wait  to  see. 

They  preach,  then  wait  for  their  charge  to  take  effect, 
like  the  hunter,  who,  not  knowing  precisely  what  game 
he  would  like  to  shoot,  loads  generally,  holds  the  gun  in 
the  air,  shuts  both  his  eyes,  then  fires,  and  looks  up  to 
see  if  anything  has  fallen,  O,  that  our  ministers  could 
take  better  aim  at  men !  But  few  theological  students 
are  taught  this,  for  it  can  be  taught  but  little  in  a  sem- 
inary. They  go  out  as  carpenters  who  know  how  to  use 
their  saw  and  chisel  and  other  instruments,  but  have 
never  seen  the  pine,  the  oak,  and  the  other  materials  of 
building.     They  can  run  the  saw,  but  they  cannot  build. 

Now,  how  can  a  man  preach  without  this  practical 
study  of  human  nature,  which  is  indispensable  ?  He 
must  know  a  man  at  sight,  and  bring  him  down  at  the 
first  shot.  We  preach  to  ideas  instead  of  preaching  to 
people, 

A  true  preacher  should  know  how  to  attack  a  proud 
man.  He  should  not  have  a  man  in  his  parish  whose 
character  he  has  not  studied,  just  as  the  engineer  care- 
fully inspects  a  fort,  discovers  its  weakest  spot,  and  there 
makes  the  attack. 

What  relation  has  fear  to  the  higher  and  lower  nature  ? 
What  is  the  power  of  conscience  ?  What  relation  has 
the  power  of  hope  and  good  cheer  ?  What  relation  has 
the  power  of  love,  of  imagination,  and  good  humor  ? 
Such  questions  as  these  the  minister  must  ask  and  answer 
for  himself. 

New  England  preaching  has  done  a  magnificent  and 
noble  work,  but  has  been  confined  mainly  to  three  things, 
reason  coming  upon  the  conscience  until  it  has  filled  life 


THE  MINISTERIAL  WORK.  97 

with  fear  :  it  has  no  imac^ination  and  love  ;  softness  and 
sympathy  have  come  in  only  lately.  What  can  a  man 
do  with  these  if  he  preaches  all  his  life?  V/e  must 
preach  with  s^  purpose, 

I  preached  for  three  years  in  the  dark,  without  doing 
myself  good,  and  little,  if  any,  to  my  congregation,  but 
I  determined  to  find  out  the  way  the  Apostles  had  suc- 
ceeded. I  went  throusrh  the  New  Testament  from 
beginning  to  end,  studied  the  character  of  the  Apostles 
and  their  serimons  and  framed  one  on  the  plan  ot  that 
of  Peter  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  of  course  making  al- 
lowance for  the  age  in  wliich  I  lived,  and  the  people 
whomIdea.lt  with.  I  preached- it  feeling  that  I  had 
done  some  good,  taking  such  aim  that  I  made  men  drop 
before  the  muzzle. 

This  want  of  the  knowledgre  of  the  human  heart 
keeps  men  away  from  the  strong  sympathies  which  they 
would  otherwise  have  to  their  lellow-men. 

You  may  divide  men  into  two  classes,  the  one  sympa- 
thizing with  the  government,  and  the  other  with  the 
governed.  The  Calvinists,  who  belong  to  the  first  class, 
are  those  who  believe  in  a  change  of  heart  by  the  Spirit 
of  God,  justification  by  free  grace,  and  the  Trinity.  The 
latter  class  are  their  opposers,  and  sympathize  more  with 
the  rights  of  man.  The  true  theology  combines  both. 
A  true  heart  which  has  a  great  power  of  sympathy,  is 
.vith  God,  On  the  one  hand  a  minister  obtains  no  ad- 
vantage in  preaching  unless  he  has  a  strong  faith  in 
doctrine  and  system,  and  does  not  fall  as  many  do  into  a 
sentimentalism  and  feeble  morality,  forgetting  that 
every  educational  process  ought  to  dig  its  own  grave. 

There  is  no  use  for  a  man  to  be  a  minister  who  goes 


98  THE  MINISTERIAL  WOEK. 

into  the  pulpit  doubting  and  fearing.  These  men,  on 
the  other  hand,  are  so  afraid  of  doius:  somethingr  to  dis- 
please  their  congregation,  are  so  afraid  of  dogmas,  that 
they  lose  their  power  and  become  sentimental ;  they  talk 
about  the  beauty  of  nature,  and  assure  you  that  if  you 
will  be  good  you  will  be  happy  and  be  saved.  To  this 
class  belong  the  young  men  who  have  been  studying 
some  twelve  years  and  are  not  acquainted  with  the  hu- 
man soul  as  they  should  be.  They  enter  the  pulpit  and 
speak  their  carefully  studied  sentences  very  eloquently. 
They  are  mere  pipers  at  a  feast. 

The  minister  is  called  a  wrestler  with  men  ;  they  are 
called  warriors  for  the" battle  with  the  human  soul.  A 
minister  that  is  not  such,  has  in  his  sword  no  steel. 
Everything  he  grapples  witli  he  should  overcome  ;  he 
must  have  power.  It  is  power,  power,  power,  that  a 
man  wants  if  he  is  to  become  a  minister,  and  then  let 
there  be  as  much  sweetness  as  you  please  ;  the  honey  in 
the  lion  can  then  be  all  eaten.  Many  men  lose  this  power 
by  trying  to  confine  themselves  to  some  particular  sect, 
I  believe  that  there  will  always  be  distinct  sects  in  the 
Church.  The  Episcopal,  the  Methodist,  the  Congrega- 
tional, and  Presbyterian  churches  all  have  power.  Tliey 
all  sustain  one  another.  It  is  said  that  we  must  be  set 
in  a  candlestick  so  that  our  light  may  shine  throughout 
all  the  house.  Many  of  our  ministers  are  set  up  in  a 
pulpit  hardly  large  enough  for  them  to  turn  around  in  ; 
there  they  try  to  preach  or  rather  expectorate. 

I  am  of  the  opinion  that  great  harm  is  done  by  class- 
preaching.  Education  ought  to  make  a  man  broad,  but 
it  often  narrows  him ;  it  ought  to  make,  not  fastidious- 
ness, but  manliness ;   it  ought  not  to  make  men  study 


THE  MINISTERIAL  WORK.  99 

too  much  for  words,  and  make  them  become  so  sensitive 
about  their  language  as  to  set  apart  a  day  of  fasting  and 
prayer  in  order  that  they  may  get  rid,of  their  grammat- 
ical errors.  The  rich  man  is  not  afraid  of  wearino-  a 
shabby  coat,  but  the  poor  man  is.  The  rich  man  dares 
to  use  a  plain  and  simple  word,  but  the  poor  man  vainly 
studies  after  what  he  calls  elegance.  We  hear  one  man 
saying  to  another  .  "  Oh,  where  is  your  residence  ?  " 
W' hv  d^m't  he  say  home  ?  There  is  more  in  that  word 
which  carries  us  back  to  the  days  when  we  were  young, 
than  in  all  others.  That  word  is  pure  English,  and 
there  is  thunder  in  a  Saxon  word,  where  there  is  only 
heat-li2:htnincr  in  the  Latin. 

The  majority  of  our  ministers  like  the  heat-lightning 
the  better ;  they  wish  to  write  sermons  uf  the  choicest 
words,  to  be  heard  by  literary  men,  retired  scholars,  and 
especially  by  retired  ministers.  They  go  into  the  pulpit 
and  preaoh  their  sweet  words.  Here  is  a  minister  just 
going  out  of  church,  after  having  preached  one  of  this 
kind  of  sermons.  The  sexton  speaks  to  him  of  his  re 
markablv  fine  sermon,  the  deacoils  shake  their  heads  in 
approval,  and  the  lawyer  saj's,  "  It  is  the  finest  discourse 
that  I  have  heard  within  a  month."  This  very  internal 
refinement  which  the  minister  has,  is  most  destructive 
of  all  o^ood. 

We  should  strive,  like  Christ,  to  use  the  language  of 
every  day  life,  so  that  not  only  the  older  ones  may  un- 
derstand what  he  says,  but  all.  Some  men  j^reach  over 
an  hour  when  they  could  say,  if  they  wished,  what  they 
want  to  say  in  half  that  time ;  and  cruel  is  the  father 
or  mother  who  wakes  their  child  up  when  the  minister 
is  preaching  one  of  these  kind  of  sermons. 


100  THE  MINISTEEIAL  WOBK. 

Men  seem,  lately,  to  pay  more  attention  to  display. 
If  they  intend  to  hire  a  minister  they  must  pay  him  the 
largest  salary  of  all  the  ministers  in  the  city.  If  they 
are  going  to  build  a  new  church  they  must  build  it  ten 
feet  higher  than  the  Methodist,  one  of  tber  rival  churches, 
and  fifteen  feet  longer  than  the  Congregational,  another 
of  their  rivals.  I  know  of  a  church  in  New  York,  a 
very  beautiful  one,  and  very  costly,  but  it  has  a  great 
column  standing  up  in  one  part  of  it — for  beauty,  I  sup- 
pose, but  how  is  it  to  the  people  behind  it,  who  cannot 
see  the  minister  ? 

At  the  present  day  a  congregation  and  the  minister 
think  too  much  of  this  display.  The  congregation  lis- 
tens to  the  minister  who  dares  not  put  half  his  faculties 
to  work,  who  does  not  put  forth  all  his  power ;  and  the 
poiver  of  a  sermon  is  in  the  variety  of  faculties  employed, 
and'every  one  of  these  faculties  should  be  used,  if  greater 
good  can  be  done. 

Men  talk  about  the  "  dignity  "  of  the  pulpit,  and  that 
our  ministers  are  not  dignified  enough  !  I  tell  you  that 
the  dignity  of  the  pulpit  has  destroyed  more  souls  than 
it' has  saved.  We  do  not  want  pulpits  which  are  noth- 
ing but  ministerial  prisons.  But  we  should  strive  after 
true  dignity  which  can  do  no  harm,  but  is  a  great  aim 
greatly  carried  out,  and  has  no  petty  proprieties. 

My  friends,  it  is  time  I  should  close,  although  I  have 
some  of  my  best  passages  as  yet  unspoken.  In  closing, 
I  would  say  a  few  words  to  these  young  men  and  to  those 
who  have  serious  thought  in  regard  to  becoming  minis- 
ters. 

The  pulpit  is  now  in  a  state  of  transition  awaiting  a 
future  greater  than  ever.     Young  men  are  thinking  of 


THE  MINISTERIAL  WOEK.  101 

becoming  ministers,  but  still  have  some  doubts.  Many 
more  are  turning  away  from  the  pulpit  because  as  they 
say,  it  is  too  confined,  it  is  not  free  enough  for  thought. 
If  this  is  so,  why  do  they  not  come  in  and  make  it  still 
more  free.  Why  do  they  not  come  in  as  men  full-blown, 
ready  to  act,  not  so  gently  as  merely  to  make  friends, 
but  as  men  ? 

Happy  should  be  the  mother  whose  son  is  going  into 
the  ministry,  and  the  father,  who,  having  seen  his  son 
not  always  walking  in  upright  paths,  is  now  rewarded 
by  beholding  him  to-night  among  those  who  have  just 
graduated,  and  I  hope  that  my  sons  some  day  will  follow 
their  example. 

If  I  couTd  go  back  thirty  five  years,  and  commence 
my  life  again  in  preaching,  whether  in  the  backwoods, 
or  in  the  city,  in  poverty,  or  in  wealth,  in  a  log  cabin  or 
in  a  palace,  I  would  choose  the  pulpit  again,  whether  I 
would  do  any  good  or  not,  simply  for  my  own  enjoy- 
ment !  Oh  may  you  find  this  enjoyment !  May  you  be 
rewarded  i 

When  we  think  not  only  of  the  enjoyment  and  pleas- 
obtained  in  this  world  from  the  ministry,  but  also  of  the 
glorious  reward  in  Heaven,  we  cannot  but  be  convinced 
that  this  is  the  profession  of  professions  to  be  chosen. 
There  is  no  other  work  like  this  in  the  world,  no  other 
commerce  so  clean,  which  gives  us  thoughts  that  are 
holy,  nothing  that  makes  it  so  pleasant  to  work  in  this 
world ;  this  work  will  bring  others  as  well  as  ourselves 
to  the  world  to  come.  ' 
9* 


CHAPTER  XVIIL 

PREACHERS,    THEIR    NEED    AND    RARiTY. 

By  Rev.  W.  H.  H.  Murray. 

That  preacbing — by  which  I  mean  clear,  powerful, 
persuasive  statements  of  truth — was  intended  by  the 
Divine  Author  of  Christianity  to  be,  and  in  point  of  fact 
is,  the  foremost  agency  to  advance  it  among  men,  there 
can  be  no  debate.  Books  can  do  much,  but  books  can 
never  do  what  the  voice,  eye  and  hand  of  the  living 
preacher  can  do.  No  religion  evej  did,  or  ever  cac,  rest 
on  literature  alone.  The  ^priest,  prophet,  preacher ; 
men,  real  men,  live  men  ;  personal  force,  power,  sym- 
pathy and  authority  iadividualized,  these  are  what  all 
religions,  false  as  well  as  true,  have  builded  on,  as  a 
wise  man  builds  his  house  upon  a  rock.  Not  alone  the 
prime  author  oi  a  religion,  but  its  prime  agents,  must 
be  incarnated  also,  or  ever  it  has  fit  adveriisement 
among  men,  or  the  proper  and  needed  forces  to  push  it 

onward. 

What  would  Mahometanism  be  without  Mahomet  ? 
or  Papacy  without  the  Pope  ?  or  Christianity  without 
the  personal  Christ?  How  would  the  early  churches 
have  gathered  and  organized,  but  for  Peter  and  Paul 


PREACHERS,  THEIR  NEED  AND  RARITY.     103 

find  their  co-laborers  ?  or  how  could  missions  be  estab- 
lished but  for  the  living  raissionary  t  All  religious 
force  is  enshrioed  first  in  a  religious  personality,  and 
through  that  personality  is  best  expressed  to  men.  Uni. 
versal  truth  centers  in  the  person  of  God,  and  from  His 
personality  flows  out  in  the  form  of  laws,  precepts,  in- 
fluence. These  are  His  thoughts.  Law  is  only  the  way 
in  which  He  thinks.  Commandments  the  way  in  which 
He  speaks.  -  Influence  only  the  natural  sequence  of  the 
marvelous  outranking  of  His  life.  Words  are  only 
symbols  of  a  force  that  was  personal  before  it  was  verbal. 
The  sayings  of  Christ,  which  compose  the  bulk  of  the 
Gospels,  are  only  thfe  flowering  out  in  human  language 
of  that  wise  and  sweet  righteousness,  which  had  existed 
forever  in  the  inner  perception  and»character  of  Christ. 
And  so,  from  whatever  point  of  view  you  contemplate 
the  subject,  you  reach  the  same  conclusion — that  truth 
has  its  finest  and  fullest  existence  in,  and  receives. its 
noblest  and  most  powerful  expression  through,  the  living 
person. 

It  was,  no  doubt,  in  harmony  with  this  perception  of 
this  real  locality  of,  and  best  medium  through  which  to 
express,  religious  truth,  that  Christ  was  prompted  to 
leave,  as  almost  His  farewell  command  to  His  disciples, 
the  injunction,  "Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach 
the  Gospel  to  every  creature."  Thai)  is,  take  the  power 
of  personality,  the  power  of  the  eye  ;  of  the  voice  ;  of 
the  face  ;  of  the  sympathetic  heart ;  and  with  these,  and 
through  these,  advertise  my  faith  to,  and  impress  it 
upon,  every  living  creature.  That  was  His  idea:  the 
wisdom  of  which  was  vindicated  in  its  first  great  trial 
upon    the    heterogeneous   masses    upon    which    Peter 


104  PREACHEES,  THEIR  NEED  AND  RARITY. 


brought  to  bear  tbe  power  of  his  divinely  inspired  per- 
sonality at  the  Day  of  Pentecost,  and  in  all  the  mighty 
labors  and  mightier  triumphs  that  attended  the  apostolic 
labors  that  followed. 

The  question  that  arises  naturally,  therefore,  for  dis- 
cussion among  Christians  to-day,  is  this.  Has  the  church 
discovered  any  better  method  than  the  one  the  Saviour 
adopted  before  He  left  the  earth,  by  which  to  advance 
Christianity  ?  Preaching  was  the  power,  and  preachers 
the  power. makers,  by  which  He  expected  to  convert 
men  and  women  to  His  faith ;  who  has  a  better  way  to 
suggest  ?  Can  a  religious  literature,  and  mere  teachers 
of  it,  take  the  place  of  the  living,'  inspired  preacher  ? 
Will  perfection  of  organization  make  good  the  lack  of 
personal  ability  and  fervor  in  the  pulpit?  Will  alliance 
with  social,  domestic  and  educational  influences  answer? 
Will  mere  scholarly  acumen,  the  finest  culture  that 
study  and  travel  and  familiarity  with  the  books  and 
book-makers  of  all  ao^es  can  give  the  brain,  suffice  ? 
Will  the  professorial  ability  to  define,  to  dogmatize,  to 
put  the  divine  nature,  its  impulses,  its  sympathies,  its 
yearnings,  into  a  retort,  and  crystallize  them  into  a 
brilliant  block  of  smooth,  hard,  cold  brilliancy — called 
systematic  theology — supply  the  Saviour  with  a  force 
able  to  push  the  subjugating  and  regenerating  power  of 
His  life  and  death  into  wicked  and  stubbornly  rebellious 
hearts?  No,  a  thousand  times  no.  These  were  not 
what  He  wanted  in  His  day  ;  •  nor  are  these  what  He 
needs  in  His  church  now.  He  called  not  for  ors2faniza- 
tions  ;  not  for  alliances  with  other  forces,  however  sweet, 
such  as  the  family  and  the  university  supply ;  not  for 
logicians  ;  not  for  withered  and  dim- eyed  scholars.     He 


PREACHEES,  THEIR  NEED  AND  RAEITY.  105 

called  for  preachers — and  preachers  rose  up  at  His  call, 
and  lacking  much,  as  we  should  judge,  yet  had  that  in 
them  which  made  multitudes  bow  at  the  sound  of  their 
voice,  and  kinoes  tremble  at  the  liftino^  of  their  hand. 

Without  carrying  the  discussion  further  along  this 
line,  let  us  glance  at  some  of  the  reasons  why  the  young 
men  now  coming  into  our  pulpits  are  so  little  distin- 
guished as  preachers.  The  first  I  will  mention  is  that 
the  churches  do  not  demand  preachers.  The  pulpit 
comes  under  the  action  of  the  law  of  demand  and  supply 
in  this  respect  as  truly  as  if  its  associations  were  mer- 
cantile. When  the  churches  say,  "we  demand  ^preachers 
for  our  pulpits,  not  mere  sermonizers,"  preachers  will 
be  forthcoming,  and  not  before.  Now  up  to  within  a 
few  years,  the  churches  were  content  with  sermonizers  ; 
or  if  not  content,  they  did  not  see  how  they  could  change 
the  state  of  things.  They  had,  as  it  were,  voted  the 
matter  out  of  their  own  hands  into  those  of  other  parties. 
When  the  theological  seminary  system  was  adopted  as 
the  best  one  by  which  the  American  ministry  could  be 
supplied  continually  with  new  men  ;  when  the  churches 
said  to  half-a-dozen- reiioious  2:entlemen  :  "Here,  take 
our  young  men  and  make  us  ministers  out  of  them ;  we 
leave  the  v/hole  matter  to  you,"  they  deliberately 
ignored  both  their  own  intelligence  and  responsibility  as 
to  what  kind  of  ability  should  occupy  their  pulpits. 

Now  I  know  all  that  can  be  said  in  favor  of  theolooical 
seminaries.  I  know  the  stol^y  and  the  arguments  by 
heart.  I  do  not  wish  to  enter  into  discussion,  or  provoke 
discussion,  with  any  friend  of  the  system.  I  only  say, 
that,  regarded  as  schools  in  which  young  men  are  to  be 
trained  to  become  preachers,  they  have  been  from  the 


106  PREACHERS,  THEIR  NEED  AND  RARITY. 

beginning,  and  are  to-day,  failures,  dead  failures.  They 
take  a  young  man  and  teach  him  how  to  reason,  how  to 
think,  how  to  interpret,  how  to  compose  a  fair  religious 
composition  in  Englih  ;  but  they  do  not  teach  him  how 
to  preach.  They  teach  him  how  to  unfold  a  religious 
truth  to  men's  understandings,  but  they  do  not  teach 
him  how  to  g.jpply  it  to  Tnen's  consciences,  or  how  to  en., 
force  it  on  their  affections.  This  is  where  they  have 
always  failed,  and  do  yet  fail.  That  they  need  not  fail, 
I  thoroughly  believe.  The  failure  does  not  inhere  in 
the  system,  but  in  the  way  it  is  adniinistered.  I  believe 
that  Andover  Seminary,  and  every  other  in  the  land, 
might  graduate  preachers  as  truly  as  scholars  ;  men  who 
could  apply  divine  truth  as  well  as  unfold  it ;  who 
could  persuade  as  well  as  argue,  convict  as  well  as  con- 
vince ;  exhort  as  truly  as  define.  But  as  they  are  run 
to-day,  they  do  not  do  this  ;  and  no  one  ever  learns  to 
preach  until  he  has  left  his  seminary  ;  yea,  more,  until 
he  has  unlearned  and  cast  aside  much  that  the  seminary 
taught  and  bound  upon  him. 

Another  reason  that  the  American  ministry  is  full  of 
men  who  cannot  preach,  is  because  men  have  entered  it, 
and  been  urged  to  enter  it,  who  were  never  intended  by 
God,  when  He  created  them,  to  be  in  it.  I  would  speak 
in  tenderness,  not  in  the  way  of  reproach  to  any,  but  in 
the  way  of  warning  to  the  whole  church,  as  to  the 
future.  Natural  unfitness  cannot  be  cured  by  any  pro- 
cess of  instruction  or  prep^alion  whatever.  Piety  does 
not  give  capacity.  A  man  that  talks  so  low,  or  so  fastf 
that  you  cannot  understand  him  half  across  a  church,  or 
who  cannot  talk  at  all,  can  never  become  a  preacher. 
He  may  be  a  gentleman,  a  scholar,  a  fine  logician,  a  de- 


PEEACHEES,  THEIR  NEED  AND  RARITY.  107 

votedly  good  man ;  but  until  these  parts  and  qualities 
become  the  prime  ones  needed  in  the  pulpit,  they  do  not 
in  any  way  the  least  fit  him  for  it.  That  this  ruling  is 
a  sensible  and  true  one,  every  reader  knows ;  and  yet 
how  fearfully  it  has  been  overlooked  in  the  selection  of 
candidates,  in  the  past,  for  the  ministry.  If  a  young 
man  was  extraordinarily  good,  why  he  must  be  sent  to 
college,  and  then  to  the  theological  seminary.  In  the 
place  of  men  armed  with  power  from  on  high,  in  the 
former  as  truly  as  the  latter  birth  ;  in  the  place  of  men 
born  strong  after  the  flesh,  as  truly  as  after  the  Spirit  ? 
the  custom  of  the  age  and  country  has  put  weak, 
lymphatic  men  into  the  pulpits  ;  or  men  who  might 
have  been  strong  in  other  professions,  but  who  could 
only  be  ponderous  failures  in  the  ministry ;  until  the 
pulpit  has  been  perilously  diluted  in  the  currents  of  its 
old  apostolic  vigor,  or  become  the  object  with  which  to 
point  the  moral  of  misadapted  and  ill-placed  ability. 

To  all  this  the  churches  must  cry,  "Hold,  enough. 
No  more  consecrated  weakness,  no  more  religious  stupid- 
ity, no  more  educated  incapacity,  no  more  misplacing  of 
abilities  in  the  professions,  so  far  as  the  pulpit  goes." 
They  must  also  say  to  the  theological  seminaries  :  "  No 
more  mere  sermonizers,  gentlemen ;  no  more  mere 
helles-lettres  men ;  no  more  men  who  know  everythino- 
but  cannot  tell  it ;  henceforth  give  us  preachers ;  strong 
bodied  and  strong  minded  men  ;  men  with  good  voices 
and  good  public  address,  able  to  think  on  their  feet — 
not  TYiere  essay  readers,  but  living,  fervent,  powerful 
preachers ;  men  that  the  Holy  Ghost  can  use,  and  will 
use,  for  men^s  conversion  and  the  confounding  of  wickedm 
ness,  as  He  used  Peter  at  the  Pentecost,  and  Paul  as  he 


108  PREACHEItS,  THEIR  NEED  AND  RARITY. 

stood  before  Agrippa  "  When  tLe  churcbes,  speaking 
through  the  voice  of  their  prominent  and  spiritual  lay- 
men, say  this  to  the  seminaries,  then  will  they  send 
preachers,  and  nothing  less,  down  to  the  churches — and 
not  before.  The  demand  will  bring  the  supply,  and 
nothing  else  will. 

Why  is  it  that  American  audiences  are  charmed  with 
the  preachers  that  have  come  to  us  from  abroad  *?*  No 
one  that  has  heard  them  can  say  that  they  are  mentally 
more  able  than  American  preachers.  Indeed  intellec- 
tually they  cannot  be  ranked  so  high  as  scores  of  our 
native  clergymen.  As  logicians,  as  rhetoricians,  as  stu- 
dents, as  theologians,  they  comparatively  excel  us  in 
nothing.  Whence,  then,  their  superior  power  ?  whence 
the  charm  of  their  address  and  the  attraction  thev  have 
to  our  audiences  ?  It  is  in  this.  They  are  preachers  of 
the  Word.  They  are  simple.  They  are  natural.  Their 
utteracce  is  not  smothered  under  the  pressure  of  books 
and  book-learning.  They  analyze  less,  and  proclaim 
more.  Their  definitions  blossom  into  exhortation,  and 
fruit  into  entreaty  and  appeals.  They  are  strong  in 
those  things  which  belong  naturally  to  the  pulpit.  They 
preach.  That  is  the  whole  of  it ;  they  preach,  we  ser- 
monize. 

To  all  in  the  pulpit,  and  about  to  enter  the  pulpit,  I 
W(flald  say,  then  :  Brethren,  let  us  seek  help  of  God  to 
become  preachers  of  the  Vv^ord.  He  who  is  blessed 
evermore  has  jDut  a  command  upon  us  to  preach  His  gos- 
pel :  not  to  the  rich,  and  learned,  and  good,  but  to  every 
creature.  Oh  the  power  of  preaching.  Oh  the  blessed- 
ness of  preaching.  Oh  the  reward  of  preaching.  Power 
to  convert  men  to  Christ ;  the  joy  of  seeing  them  come 


PREACHERS,  THEIR  NEED  AND  RARITY.  109* 

to  Christ ;  the  reward  of  hearing  from  Christ  Himself, 
when  tJie  preaching  at  last  is  ended,  "  Well  done, 
good  and  faithful  servant ;  thou  hast  been  faithful  over 
few  things,  I  will  make  thee  ruler  over  many  things. 
Enter  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 

PREACHING   IN   DEMAND. 

Note  — Tt  is  probable  that  there  are  about  as  many  ministers  as 
churches  in  our  country.  But  at  the  same  time  it  is"  a  lamentable 
fact  that  a  very  lara;e  minority  of  the  ivell  qualified  ministry  are 
habitually  without  employment  and  salary,  so  that  they  sufier  great 
pecuniary  embarrassment,  while  as  many  churches  are  without  reg-, 
ular  and  constant  f  reaching,  so  that  many  of  them  have  merely  a 
name  to  live,  while,  religiously,  they  are  spiritually  dying  or  ready 
to  expire.  And  unless  there  shall  be  a  radical  reformation  in  the  re- 
lation of  these  unemployed  ministers  to  the  vacant  parishes,  the 
cause  o^ religion  must  be  greatly  hindered. 

With  this  embarrassed  and  abnormal  state  of  things,  there  is  at 
the  same  time  a  very  great  and  perpetual  demand  for  effective  preach' 
ers  of  the  Word,  with  little  or  no  immediate  prospect  of  an  adequate 
supply.  Two  very  diverse  classes  of  churches  are  in  imperative  need 
if  effective  preachers,  with  no  suitable  candidates  before  them,  in 
their  estimation,  from  which  to  select.  The  first  class,  having  largo 
congregations  of  high  intelligence,  and  ready  to  give  liberal  support, 
have  no  good  reason  for  rejecting  the  ministers  who  appear  before 
them,  for  deficiency  in  native  talent  or  ripeness  of  culture,  but  their 
record  and  experience  shows  that  they  are  not  revival,  harvest 
preachers.  And  the  humbler  class  of  churches  know  that  they  can 
never  flourish  and  be  greatly  increased  in  piety  or  numbers,  unless 
they  cnn  secure  a  ministry  who  can  preach  in  demonstration  of  the 
spirit  and  of  power.  Hence  this  loud  call  for  effective  preachers. — Com. 
10 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

A    FKEE   PULPIT   A   PULPIT    OF   POWER, 
By  Ret.  W.  H.  H.  Murrat. 

Many  say  that  the  pulpits  of  New  England  are  weak  ; 
that  they  represent  no  such  average  of  power  as  they 
might  and  should  ;  that  they  are  not  winning  the  ear  of 
the  naasses  or  inspiring  with  respect  the  educated  classes. 
I  think  that  to  a  certain  extent  this  is  true,  and  also  that 
the  causes  of  this  weakness  are  not  hidden. 

One  cause,  as  the  writer  of  this  article  thinks,  is  be- 
cause those  who  stand  in  our  pulpits  do  yiot  speak  their 
latest  thoughts.  An  excessive  caution — not  to  use  a  stron- 
ger word — obstructs  a  free  and  frank  expression  of  their 
opinions.  A  fear  to  say  anything  that  shall  be  out  of 
harmony  with  what  has  been  said,  or  that  shall  run 
counter  to  long  cherished  impressions  and  customary  in- 
terpretation of  Scripture,  stands  at  the  gates  of  speech 
and  puts  a  check  upon  free  utterance.  Thus  much  that 
is  finest  in  scholarship,  and  most  •suggestive  in  interpre- 
tation, is  never  given  to  the  public.  The  old  changes 
are  rung  annually.  What  the  audience  hear  one  year 
they  hear  the  next ;  and  preaching  becomes  only  a  re- 
pitition  of  moral  and  spiritual  truisms.     Fear  of  saying 


A  FREE  PULPIT  A  PULPIT  OF  POWER.  Ill 

something  that  may  not  be  true,  causes  needed  truth  to 
go  unspoken. 

Instead  of  being  an  interpretation  and  application  of 
the  divine  nature  and  principles  as  they  are  being  re- 
vealed by  the  Holy  Ghost  to-day,  the  sermon  becomes 
only  a  rehearsal  of  what  the  old  divines  thought  and 
said  in  their  day  and  generation. 

Now,  there  are  two  ways  to  look  at  Christianity.  Tbe 
first  is  to  regard  it  as  a  system  of  truth,  complete  in  all 
its  parts,  from  the  time  of  its  introduction  into  the 
world ;  needing  no  addition  and  capable  of  no  expan- 
sion. 

The  second  way  is  to  study  it  as  a  system  of  truth, 
incomplete  but  growthful  ;  a  system  of  force,  not  yet 
wholly  developed ;  of  principles  not  yet  fully  under, 
stood,  even  by  its  disciples ;  of  adaptations  to  human 
necessities  not,  at  present,  half  applied.  The  writer 
looks  at  it  in  this  latter  light. 

Christianity  is  not  a  set  system  promulgated,  in  its 
entirety,  at  the  beginning.  Christ  did  not  deliver  it  to 
man  like  a  building  fully  built,  a  structure  erected  and 
fiinished,  even  to  its  capstone.  Christianity  is  not  a  pyra- 
mid  to  which  no  stone  can  be  added  ;  it  is  not  a  block 
of  hewn  and  polished  marble,  three  cubits  long  by  three 
wide,  to  which  there  can  come  no  change.  It  is  a  germ 
force  rather ;  a  seed  planted  for  growth ;  a  principle 
capable  of  infinite  evolution. 

As  a  revelation  it  was  not  perfect  in  Christ.  It  is  a 
revelation  being  revealed ;  a  book  which  contains  all 
knowledge  of  God,  being  studied  by  the  race ;  and  each 
successive  generation  masters  only  its  own  appropriate 
leaf.     God  the  Son,  in  his  character  and  work,  was  a 


112      A  FREE  PULPIT  A  PULPIT  OF  POWER. 

revelation  of  the  Godhead.     God  the  Spirit,  in  his  char- 
acter and  work,  is  equally  a  revelation  of  the  Godhead. 

The  son  revealed  the  disposition  of  God.  The  Spirit 
is  revealing  the  power  and  energies  of  God ;  and  not 
onlv  so,  but  God's  nature  as  well.  Have  two  thousand 
years  of  the  Spirit's  working  taught  the  church  nothing 
of  the  Father  ?  Have  the  trials  and  joys,  the  failures 
and  triumphs  of  a  hundred  generations  added  nothing 
to  human  knowledge  of  the  Deity  ?  Did  the  old  pro- 
phets understand  their  prophecies  as  well  as  Vv^e  ?  Does 
he  who  has  seen  a  flower  only  in  the  bulb  know  the 
flower,  as  does  he  who  stands  beholding  the  fragrance  of 
the  open  blossom  ?  Is  the  work  of  God's  revelation  of 
Hiniself  finished,  or  i*it  still  going  4.>n,  and  do  our  ej^es 
behold  all  the  glory  which  shall  yet  be  revealed  ?  Who 
can  think  that  the  Spirit  has  completed  His  work,  and 
unto  us  has  been  granted  the  perfect  insight  of  the  Di- 
vine  nature  ? 

If  our  understanding  of  Christianity,  as  a  system  or  a 
revelation,  is  the  correct  one,  then  does  it  become  not 
only  a  matter  of  wisdom  but  of  duty  for  ever}^  expoun- 
der of  Christianity  to  study  and  teach  to  others  not  only 
the  revelation  which  hojS  been  made,  but  also  the  reve- 
lation which  is  to  day  hcing  made.  He  is  to  keep  his 
mind  open  to  receive  daily  communication  from  on  high. 

Through  conviction,  through  impulse,  through  in- 
crease of  sensitiveness,  resulting  from  fuller  application 
by  the  Holy  Ghost  of  sanctifying  power,  through  a  truer 
understanding  of  God,  based  upon  a  wider  observation 
of  His  workings  on  the  earth  than  the  ancients  pos- 
sessed;  he  is  to  feel  that  day  by  day  he  is  being  better 
prepared  for  his  great  work.     But  to  have  this  increase 


A  FREE  PULPIT  A  PULPIT  OP  POWER.  113 

of  power  felt ;  to  make  this  growth  of  knowledge  and 
grace  useful  to  men,  he  must  speak  out. his  latest  thought. 

Vain  to  mill  and  miller  are  watershed  and  rain ;  vain 
the  overflow  of  hillside  springs  and  contribution  of  many 
streams,  if  the  pond  will  not  yield  its  increased  volume 
of  water  to  the  waiting  flume  and  expectant  wheels.  If 
the  prophet  will  not  speak  it,  of  what  benefit  is  the 
heavenly  communication  ?  What  new  revelation  shall 
ever  be  made,  if  the  heralds  of  God  shall  only  repeat 
the  proclamations  of  the  past  ? 

The  Spirit  within  the  oracle  is  warm  and  clamorous 
for  utterance,  but  timidity  or  cowardness  seals  the  lips 
that  should  be  quick  to  speak  the  messages  of  saving 
and  directing  wisdom.  A  free  pulpit,  ready  and  accus- 
tomed to  speak  its  latest  thought,  if  it  be  reverent,  is 
the  only  thing  that  insures  freedom  to  the  Spirit. 

This  also  is  needed  by  every  preacher  who  would  be 
obedient  to  heavenly  communications,  or  strong  for  good, 
viz — fearlessness  of  verbal  forms.  No  form  of  words 
can  ever  express  more  than  the  wisdom  of  the  genera- 
tion that  used  it  as  a  vehicle  of  its  thousfht. 

A  creed,  for  instance,  written  in  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, is  only  the  highest  expression  of  the  theological 
knowledge  of  that  century.  Adequate  for  its  own  age 
it  may  be,  and  probably  will  be  most  inadequate  for  the 
age  that  follows  it.  To  hold  any  other  opinion  is  to  hold 
that  the  human  mind  is  not  subject  to  growth,  or  the 
souls  of  men  capable  of  successive  additions  in  spiritual 
apprehension. 

A  creed  is  significant  and  valuable,  for  the  most  part, 

only  to  the  generation  that  wrote  it.     It  was  the  best 

expression  it  could  write  out  of  its  faith — that  is  all. 
10* 


114  A  FREE  PULPIT  A  PULPIT  OF  POWEE. 

No  expression  of  faith  is  sacred,  save  to  the  man  making 
it.  He  may  be  outgrown  and  then  it  is  outgrown,  un. 
less  he  has  embodied  in  it  the  elements  of  all  truth, 
which  none  but  God  himself  can  do.  The  Bible  is  sac- 
red ;  nothing  else.  And  the  Bible  is  like  the  heavens, 
of  which  men  learn  continually  more  and  more. 

The  magi  knew  the  heavens  only  by  eyesight.  We 
know  them  to  day  with  the  telescope,  and  we  can  easily 
conceive  that  spaces  that  are  now  dark,  unliglited  by  a 
singly  luminous  point,  to  the  eye  of  some  future  genera- 
tion of  astronomers  shall  blaze  with  the  radiance  of  a 
thousand  revolving  suns.  God  has  never  given  to  one 
man,  or  any  company  of  men,  full  knowledge  of  Him- 
self: and,  therefore,  they  could  not  write  of  Him  in 
such  a  way  as  to  bind  us,  of  to-day,  to  their  views. 

I  urge,  therefore,  that  every  preacher  should  deliver 
himself  from  all  bondage  to  form  ;  all  timidity  and  hes- 
itation touching  acceptance  or  rejection  of  creeds  writ- 
ten in  the  past,  by  men  as  fallible  and  probably  less 
enlightened  than  he.  I  urge  it  as  a  duty  he  owes  to 
God  and  his  own  soul.  I  urge  it  in  the  interest  of  his 
usefulness,  and  of  a  reverence  more  profound  than  can 
ever  be  felt  toward  the  opinions  of  any  man  or  class  of 
men.  I  urge  it  in  the  interest  of  his  own  spiritual 
growth  and  the  growth  of  his  people  unto  whom  he  is  to 
minister  from  things,  both  new  and  old. 

Let  us,  therefore  have  a  free  pulpit,  in  order  that  it 
may  be  a  strong  pulpit ;  untrammeled  utterance ;  un- 
fettered thought,  reverent  toward  God,  but  not  subser- 
vient to  men,  either  living  or  dead,  to  the  end  that  the 
Spirit  may  be  able  to  inspire  and  direct  it ;  above  all  a 
pulpit  that  respects  its  own  integrity  of  intellect  and 


A  FREE  PULPIT  A  PULPIT  0^  POWER.      115 

Conscience  too  much  to  be  influenced  by  tlie  hostile  crit- 
icism, either  of  the  ignorance  or  the  bigotry  of  a  few  of 
the  pews. 

Brethren,  speak  your  latest  thought.  It  is  doubtless 
your  best  and  strongest  thought.  Start  discussion.  A 
church  under  good  preaching,  is  like  a  pond  of  water 
when  a  breeze  is  on  it ;  it  is  full  of  movement  and  rip- 
ple. Timid  preaching  makes  stagnant  churches.  Like 
old  feathers,  it  does  church  members  good  to  shake  them 
up  occasionally.  Animated  difference  is  better,  a  hun- 
dred-fold better,  than  dead  unanimity.  The  reason  that 
it  helps  ministers  to  meet  for  discussion  is  because  they 
shake  each  other  up.  Like  flint  and  steel,  when  they 
come  in  contact,  the  sparks  fly. 

I  borrow  the  wisdom  of  a  noted  servant  of  God  with 
which  to  close  this  article.  Being  asked  by  a  young 
preacher  what  he  should  do  when  he  came  before  his 
people — "  Do,"  replied  the  Leader  of  a  hundred  revi- 
vals, "  ma.ke  the  sparks  fly  1  " 


CHAPTER  XX. 

3EXTEMP0RANE0US    PREACHINa. 
Bt  Rev.  W.  H.  H.  Murray. 

I  propose  Id  this  article  to  state  briefly  how  the  ques^ 
Hon,  which  is  now  attracting  so  muck  attention  from 
pulpit  and  press,  looks  to  me. 

In  the  first  place  then,  extemporaneous  does  not,  in 
the  sense  I  shall  use  it,  mean  unprepared.  The  extem- 
poraneous speaker  in  the  pulpit,  should  beyond  all 
others,  be  fully  supplied  with  facts,  analogies,  scriptural 
proofs,  illustrations.  The  act  of  speaking  should  only 
be  the  putting  together  the  material  that  had  been  pre- 
viously quarried  and  hewn  and  placed  ready  to  his  hand. 
To  start  out  in  an  address  with  no  such  material  provi- 
ded, is  to  publicly  commit  oratorical  hari-kari.  No 
sane  man  would  ever  risk  his  reputation,  or  ignore  the 
prime  necessities  of  the  case,  in  that  manner.  "With 
this  explanation  made  and  excepted,  let  us  look  at  some 
of  the  objections  more  commonly  urged  against  preach- 
ing unwritten  sermons. 

It  is  said  by  many  that  the  extemporaneous  speaker 
is  less  accurate  then  he  would  be  with  the  use  of  manu- 
script.    I  am  disposed  to  think  that  the  point  is  well 


EXTEMPOEANEOUS  PEE  ACHING.  117 

made.     For  instance,  grammatical  accuracy  is  probably 
unattainable  in  extemporaneous  effort. 

Wendell  Phillips  may  be  taken  doubtless  as  verbally 
the  most  exact  speaker  in  speaking*  without  manuscript 
that  America  has  now,  or  ever  has  had.  His  command 
of  good  Ecgiish  is  something  truly  wonderful.  And  yet 
I  have  never  heard  Mr.  Phillips  make  but  one  speech 
without  makinoj  at  least  two  decided  grammatical  errors. 
If  fifty  years  of  culture  and  forty  years  of  forensic  ex. 
perience  have  been  unable  to  bring  so  facile  a  mind  as 
Mr.  Phillips's  up  to  the  level  of  perfect  utterance,  ver- 
bal perfection  in  extemporaneous  speaking  may  well  be 
regarded  as  impossible.  The  point  therefore  is  granted 
to  the  opposition. 

It  is  also  said,  that  a  more  important  accuracy  is  lost 
in  extemporaneous  preaching,  viz  :  the  accuracy  of  cor- 
rect definition,  and  precise  statement.  At  first  thought 
one  would  be  inclined  to  grant  the  opposition  this  point 
also.  But  I  am  inclined  to  question  its  correctness.  If 
there  were  but  one  formula  of  words,  for  the  use  of  defi- 
nition touching  any  certain  scriptural  doctrine,  the«i  any 
deviation  from  that  formula  would  be  fatal  to  precision, 
and  the  doctrine  would  suffer,  owino-  to  the  verbal  varia- 
bleness  of  hurried,  perchance  confused,  utterance.  But 
the  fact  is,  the  truths  of  Scripture  are  tree-like  truths, 
full  of  out-branching  significance,  and  leaf-like  sugges- 
tions ;  and  therefore  no  one  naked  form  of  statement 
Ciin  properly  define  them. 

Instead  of  verbal  variableness  being  a  loss,  it  is  again 
to  the  doctrine  being  discussed.  You  cannot  say  that  a 
tree  is  a  pole,  and  stop  there  as  if  3^ou  had  perfectly 
defined  a  tree.     A  tree  is  more  than  a  pole,  and  great 


118        EXTEMPORANEOUS  PREACHING. 

variety  of  statement,  and  much  imagery  can  be,  nay, 
must  be,  employed  by  him  who  would  perfectly  define 
and  describe  it.  Now  this  repetitious  definition  is  pre- 
cisely what  the  extemporaneous  preacher  gives  to  a  doc- 
trine. His  mind  conceives  of  it  in  particles  as  it  were. 
The  first  thouglit  is  only  a  partial  thought,  and  so  the 
second  thought  is  suggested,  and  then  the  third,  and  so 
on,  until  the  man's  mind  lias  worked  entirely  around 
the  truth  he  would  fain  inculcate.  I  claim  that  the  defi- 
nition is  ultimately  fuller,  more  spherical,  and  therefore 
more  exacts  than  any  single  written  statement,  however 
precisely  formulated  could  ever  have  been.  What  seemed 
partial  and  inaccurate  became  complete  and  absolutely 
explicit  at  the  close.  The  audience  were  evidently 
gainers,  for  the  average  popular  mind  cannot  compre- 
hend the  closest  forms  of  logical  statement  sounded  forth 
in  the  rapidity  of  public  utterance. 

So,  then,  in  order  that  they  may  understand  it,  a  doc- 
trine must  be  put  as  a  lawyer  puts  his  points  of  law 
before  the  jury,  repetitiously,  and  with  many  illustra- 
tions^ and  quotations,  and  apt  analogies,  and  it  may  be 
even  anecdotes,  in  order  to  fully  explain  and  powerful l}!^ 
enforce  it  upon  their  minds.  The  object  of  doctrinal 
preaching  is  not  merely  to  make  a  verbal  statement  of 
it  in  the  presence  of  an  audience.  Some  preachers  state 
things  so  precisely  that  you  remember  the  precision,  and 
forget  the  statement.  They  admire  the  skill  of  the 
marksman  so  much,  that  they  forget  what  he  is  shooting 
at. 

Now  the  true  object  of  doctrinal  preaching  is  not  to 
read  an  accurate  statement  of  the  doctrine  in  the  pres- 
ence of  an  audience,  but  to  fix  the  doctrine  itself  in  the 


EXTEMPORANEOUS  PEE  ACHING.  119 

hearts  and  minds  of  the  hearers.  This  fixiny  of  things 
is  just  what  written  sermons  rarely  do.  The  very  repe- 
tition which  the  writer  avoids  is  absolutely  needed  to 
drive  the  truth  home,  and  embed  in  it  the  very  cod- 
sciousness  of  the  listener. 

Another  objection  to  extemporaneous  speaking  is  that 
the  language  of  the  speaker  is  not  only  less  accurate, 
but  less  elegant,  than  would  be  the  case  if  he  wrote  his 
sermons  out. 

Ear  be  it  from  me  to  deride  elegant  diction.  At  times 
it  is  to  an  argument  what  the  great  clusters  are  to  the 
vine,  the  choicest  expression  of  its  choicest  life.  It  is 
to  the  stalwart  body  and  stout  trunk  of  argumentation 
what  the  opened  flower  is  to  the  fibrous  stalk.  But  ele- 
gance of  diction  is  not  the  great  essential  in  preaching 
the  gospel,  as  even  those  who  most  admire  it  would,  I 
presume,  admit. 

To  cause  men  to  understand  and  feel  the  truth  in  their 
hearts,  to  quicken  the  torpid  conscience,  to  stir  the  dor- 
mant faculty  of  reverence,  to  nourish  into  maturest 
growth  humane  impulse,  to  persuade  men  to  accept  sal-  , 
vation  of  their  souls  through  Christ,  this  is  the  object  of 
preaching  the  gospel.  The  pulpit,  while  it  is  sympa- 
thetic with  culture,  is  not  a  place  intended  for  a  display 
of  culture.  Nor  does  it  derive  its  great  vitality  from 
intellectual  forces.  Its  puissance  is  of  God,  and  not  of 
man,  and  if  it  be  said  that  God  works  through  man,  I  / 
reply,  yes,  through  the  sanctified  man,  not  through  the 
merely  cultured  man.  A  successful  preaching  of  the 
Word  can  never  be  based  upon  that  kind  of  oratory 
which  has  only,  or  even  chiefly,  its  verbal  elegance  to 
commend  it  to  the  audience. 


120  EXTEMPORANEOUS  PREACHING. 

Such,  in  brief,  are  some  of  the  objections  urged 
against  extemporaneous  preaching.  The  ottier  side 
should  be  at  least  stated.  The  first  point  to  be  made  in 
tkc  statement  is,  that  written  and  read  or  recited  ser- 
mons are  an  innovation  on  the  immemorial  method  of 
preaching,  and  for  the  most  part  an  Americanism. 

Reading  sermons  was  never  a  habit  of  the  pulpit  save 
in  recent  times,  and  especially  in  this  country,  Neither 
among  the  apostles  or  tlieir  more  immediate  successors 
was  it  a  custom.  ISi  either  in  France,  save  with  some  of 
the  Court  preachers,  nor  Scotland,  nor  Ireland,  nor  Eng- 
land— outside  the  Established  Church — nor  in  Wales, 
was  it  ever  a  settled  habit.  JNor  has  this  style  of  preach- 
ing ever  been  efficient  in  times  of  revolution  and  emer- 
gency. The  Waldenses,  the  Covenanters  of  Scotland, 
the  Methodists  of  Enoland  and  America,  these  eaoies  of 
spiritual  fervor,  bred  amid  crags,  and  exposed  to  storms 
of  peril,  illustrate  in  their  history  the  truth  of  the  state- 
ment that  the  living  eyes  and  voice  and  animated  pres- 
ence of  the  preacher,  his  whold  mind  and  body  charged 
with  the  electric  forces  of  the  skies,  are  alone  able  to 
uphold  men's  souls  when  the  horrors  of  persecution  and 
the  terrors  of  death  o'et  hold  on  them. 

The  second  suogestion  is  this.     Does  the  written  ser- 

CO 

mon  style  of  preaching  allow  of  the  free  and  full  opera- 
tions of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  mind  and  heart  o^the 
preacher  i     This  is  a  most  grave  question  ;  perhaps  the 
gravest  a  preacher   of  divine    truth  can  consider.     It 
^brings  one  face  to  lace  Avith  the  office  work  of  the  Spirit, 
'ihe  question  is.  Has  the  Holy  Spirit  a  special  relation 
^O'he  mind  of  the  speaker  while  he  is  speaking.     Does 
^®  perate  on  the  intellect  and  on  the  emotional  forces 


EXTEMPORANEOUS  PKE ACHING.  121 

of  the  orator's  nature  when  in  its  hi^^hest  mood,  and  en- 
gay  ed  in  the  very  act  of  converting  souls  ?  Now,  for 
one,  I  hold  that  this  connection  between  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  the  preacher's  mind,  when  reverently  and  prayer- 
fully engaged  in  the  act  oi  preaching,  does  take  i^lace* 
Through  the  quickened  faculty,  the  awakened  sympa- 
thies, the  lively  going  forth  of  the  emotions,  the  fervor 
and  flow  of  tbjught,  God  does  actually  make  an  impart- 
ment  of  celestial  force  to  his  servant.  It  needs  the  day, 
the  place,  the  audience,  the  previous  spiritual  prepara- 
tion of  head  and  heart  on  the  part  of  the  preacher,  to 
stir  these  faculties,  which,  when  in  action,  can  be,  and 
actually  are,  inspired  with  divine  power.  Only  when 
the  conditions  are  fit,  and  circumstances  providentially 
conspire,  is  this  inspiration  given,  and  hence  sermons 
written  out,  as  one  might  say,  in  cold  blood,  are  gener- 
ally delivered  in  cold  blood.  The  Divine  Spirit  did  not 
find  the  temperamental  conditions  on  the  week  day  and 
in  the  study  which  could  serve  His  lourj^ose  and  so 
there  was  a  lack  in  the  sermon  on  the  Sabbath.  It  was 
verbally  exact ;  it  was  suggestive ;  it  was  ornate ;  but 
alas,  something  was  lacking.  That  something'  would 
have  been  to  it  what  odor  is  to  a  flower  or  beams  to  a 
star.  That  something  was  God,  the  Sanctifier  and 
Qaickener. 

11 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE   SUCCESSFUL   MINISTEIt. 
By  Rey.  T.  L.  Cuyler. 

What  shall  the  man  do  who  cometh  after  the  king  T 
And  not  only  one,  but  after  a  royal  family  of  "kings  and 
priests  unto  God  ?  "  I  feel  that  the  eminent  brethren 
who  have  preceded  me  have  reaped  the  field ;  let  me 
glean  for  you  a  few  spears  and  kernels  from  my  own 
personal  experience.  I  congratulate  you  on  chooi-ing 
the  poorest  of  trades,  and  the  noblest  of  callings. 

How  shall  each  of  you  become,  by  God's  blessing,  a 
successful  minister  ?  To  this,  let  me  attempt  a  half 
dozen  practical  answers. 

]  St.  Put  your  whole  soul  into  your  work.  Love  it 
more  than  a  hungry  man  loves  to  eat  his  dinner.  Other- 
wise the  manufacture  of  just  so  much  sermon-matter 
every  week,  and  the  routine  of  calls  from  house  to  house 
will  soon  become  the  dreariest  of  drudgeries.  Your 
chief  aim  must  be,  not  merely  to  produce  good  sermons, 
or  to  make  numerous  visits,  or  to  attract  large  auditories, 
but  to  save  souls  from  hell  and  to  guide  souls  to  heaven. 
Your  prayer  must  be,  "  give  me  souls  or  I  die  !  "     To 


THE   SUCCESSFUL  MINISTER.  123 

the  godly  minister  who  knows  how  to  handle  his  tools 
success  is  the  rule ;   utter  failure  is  the  rare  exception. 
2d.     In  preparing  your  sermons,  aim  to  preach 

THE   WHOLE   BIBLE. 

Some  ministers  ride  hobbies — such  as  the  prophecies,  or 
popular  reforms,  or  metaphysical  systems.  They  com- 
monly fall  into  ruts.  To  ensure  variety  and  freshness 
every  Sabbath,  explore  the  whole  Word  of  God.  Your 
own  brain  will  soon  run  dry  ;  but  you  can  never  exhaust 
the  Bible. 

Preach  one  Sunday  a  biographical  sermon ;  then  a 
thoi'ough  arousing  doctrinal  sermon  ;  then  a  tender  dis- 
course of  consolation ;  then  an  experimental  discourse 
on  Christian  living,  with  illustrations  drawn  from  daily 
life.  By  going  over  every  part  of  the  Scriptures,  and 
every  phase  of  human  experience,  you  will  escape  the 
wearisome  fault  of  monotony.  Whatever  you  do,  pray 
keejj  clear  of  monotony  in  themes,  and  monotony  in  style, 
and  monotony  in  delivery.  That  was  a  sharp  criticism 
which  old  Dr.  Emmons  passed  on  a  certain  sermon, 
when  he  said  that  it  was  "  like  Seekonk  Plain,  long  and 
leveV^  Rich  preaching  should  be  as  varied  with  moun- 
tain, vale,  and  running  stream  as  a  picturesque  land- 
scape. But  never  take  your  auditors  where  they  cannot 
see  the  cross  of  Christ. 

3d.     In  selecting  your  topics  for  the  pulpit,  choose  the 

GEEAT  THEMES, 

such  as  the  attributes  of  God,  the  Divine  Love  in  redemp- 
tion, Sin  and  its  roots.  Repentance,  Faith,  Atonement, 
Conversion   and   its   evidences,    the    Resurrection,    the 


124  THE   SUCCESSFUL  MINISTER. 

Judgment,  Heaven,  and  Hell.  Yet  as  daily  life  is  made 
up  of  minute  acts,  do  not  overlook  the  minute  points  of 
duty  or  of  dangei\  If  Paul  was  inspired  to  say  ''  be 
courteous,"  then  you  may  preach  on  Christian  polite- 
ness; if  the  Bible  says  that  "  wine  is  a  mocker,"  then 
you  have  a  right  to  break  every  decanter  you  can  reach 
from  the  pulpit.  Set  forth  every  grace  that  beautifies  a 
Christian  ;   and  wherever  you  see  a  sin  hit  it  I 

Chuose  your  texts  where  you  can  find  them,  Christ 
gathered  His  oflf  of  fig  trees  and  in  corn  fields.  If  you 
are  in  an  orchard,  you  grasp  and  stone  or  club  that  will 
bring  down  the  apples.  What  you  are  afier  is — the 
apples.  So  wherever  you  find  a  passage  that  will  defend 
a  truth,  or  kill  a  doubt,  or  awaken  a  sinner,  or  relieve  a 
human  trouble,  seize  it  and  use  it.  Always  get  your  text 
first,  and  plant  it,  and  let  it  grow  up  into  your  sermon ; 
and  let  the  main  idea  of  your  text  be  the  trunk. thought 
of  your  sermon.  Out  of  this  central  trunk  let  the  limbs 
expand,  and  on  its  branches  let  the  ''  fruits  of  the  Spirit  " 
grow.  Kever  commit  the  absurd  folly  of  building  a 
sermon,  and  then  perching  a  text  on  top  of  it.  Never 
attempt  either  to  cheat  your  people  into  the  belief  that 
they  are  hearing  a  new  sermon  by  swapping  off  an  old 
text  fur  a  new  one  ;  for  the  decapitation  of  its  text  ought 
to  be  as  su7'e  death  to  a  good  discourse  as  would  be  the 
stroke  of  your  own  head  from  your  body.  The  sap  of 
the  text  should  reach  the  farthest  twig  of  the  sermon. 

It  is  a  happy  thing  to  find  sometimes  an  out-of-the- 
way  pas>age,  and  get  a  new  and  fresh  truth  out  of  it.  I 
always  thank  the  ingenious  and  diligent  preacher  who 
drives  his  pick- axe  down  in  an  unexpected  .spot  and 
opens  up  to  me  a  gold  mine.     Spurgeon  often  excels  in 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  MimSTER.  125 

a  novel  selection  and  handling  of  Scripture  passages. 
But  never  stoop  to  the  sensational  trick  of  choosing  texts 
for  their 

MERE   ODDITY. 

That  was  a  paltry  pun  which  was  made  by  the  min- 
ister who  preached  from  those  words  in  the  27  th  chapter 
of  Acts,  "  let  her  dmve  !  "  That  rustic  preacher  fancied 
that  he  had  quite  sett^d  our  Baptist  brethren  when  he 
delivered  a  sermon  against  immersion  from  the  words 
*' beware  of  divers:^'  and  then  added  the  concludino: 
words — "  and  strange  doctrines."  When  Mr.  Spurgeon 
began  to  preach  he  indulged  in  puns  and  drolleries,  but 
the  orrace  of  God  and  the  orandeur  of  His  work  have 
cohered  him  in  later  years.  To-day  he  is  the  first  of  liv- 
ing preachers  on  the  globe. 

4th.  In  these  days  I  fear  that  good,  sound,  old  fash- 
ioned, stout, 

DOCTRINAL   PREACHING 

is  going  out  of  vogue.  I  beg  of  you  do  not  yield  to 
this  unhappy  drift — no  !  not  for  an  hour.  Sound  doc- 
trine is  the  backbone  of  truly  successful  preaching.  The 
mightiest  discourses  that  have  shaken  vast  assemblies, 
and  sent  sinners  trembling  to  the  Cross  of  Christ,  have 
been  vitalized  by  some  stupendous  ''  djjctrina''  or  re- 
vealed teaching  of  Almighty  God.  My  brilliant  neigh- 
bor, Beecher,  has  unwisely  said  that  "  doctrine  is  only 
the  skin  of  truth  set  up,  and  stuffed  !  "  Just  imagine 
St.  Paul  writing  to  Timothy  "give  attendance  to — the 
stuffed  skin  of  truth  .' " 

If  you  are  ever  dry,  never  be  dry  in  your  doctrinal 
sermons.     Always  preach  doctrine  with  intense  emotion. 

Heat  your  argument  red  hot     Introduce  all  the  lively 
11* 


12G  THE  SUCCESSrUL  MINISTER. 

and  picturesque  illustrations  you  can  into  your  doctrinal 
discourses  ;  it  will  make  them  interesting,  and  the  truth 
will  become  pictorial  to  the  mind's  eye  and  to  the  mem- 
ory. This  was  our  Saviour's  method.  What  a  match- 
less discourse  on  the  doctrine  of  God's  mercy  to  the 
sinner  is  the  parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son  ?  A  good 
minister  is  nourished  in  the  words  of  faith  and  of  good 
doctrine.  • 

The  successful  preacher  must  always  have  a  method 
of  his  otvn.     Find  out  your  forte  and  then  stick  to  it. 
Study  Lyman  Beecher  ;  study  Griffin  and  Addison  Alex- 
ander, and  Spurgeon,  but  don't  try  to  be  either.     Be 
yourself.     The  worst  form  of  plagiarism  is  to  attempt 
to  stand  in  another  man's  shoes.     As  to  the  metliods  of 
preparation  for  the  pulpit,  no  rule  is  the  heat  rule.    God 
made  some  men  to  write,  and  made  some  men  to  extem- 
porize.    Dr.  Chalmers  wrote  every  syllable  of  his  ser- 
mons, and  delivered  them  like  a  tornado.      Spurgeon 
never  writes  a  single  sentence  for  the   pulpit.       B>th 
these  men  used  tbe  best  method.     If  I  may  be  allowed 
to  refer  to  myself,  my  own  custom  is  to  use  all  methods. 
Sometimes    I    use    no   manuscript  ;    sometimes  I  write 
two-thirds,  and  sometimes  only  one  half  of  the  sermon. 
The  remainder  1  deliver  under  the  heat  of  the  moment. 
I  change  too  the  ivords  of  my  manuscript  as  I  go  on  ;  I 
make  them  shorter  and  shar[  er.     If  in  my  study  I  wrote 
the  word  "  avocations,"  when  I  come  to  preach  I  say 
hubiness ;  if  I  wrote  "this  commercial  metropolis"  I 
shorten  it  into  "  this  great  city  " ;   and  never  either  in 
writing  or  speaking  do  I  use  two  fashionable  words,  so 
puzzling  to  the  common  people — oljective  and  subjective. 
\      Always  preach  to  the  plainest  part  of  your  audience. 


THE   SUCCESSFQL  MINISTER.  J 27 

If  you  elaborate  your  discourse  for  the  most  cultivated 
portion,  they  aloue  can  understand  you.  But  if  you 
have  the  rich  man  in  your  church  and  also  his  coachman 
or  gardener  or  servant,  tlien  preach  to  the  coachman  and 
the  gardener,  and  you  will  sweep  in  the  whole  audience 
to  the  door.  Even  the  most  cidtivated  lawj^er  or  col- 
l.egian  will  be  best  pleased  with  simplicity  and  earneaU 
ness.  The  profoundest  men  do  not  come  to  church  to 
have  their  brains  taxed,  but  lo  have  their  hearts  made 
holier  and  their  lives  made  better. 

Do  not  begin  your  sermons  in  a  slovenly  or  stupid 
manner — expecting  to  recover  your  audience  afterwards. 
People  will  endure  a  prosy  introduction,  when  their 
curiosity  is  piqued  to  hear  a  distinguished  preacher ; 
but  the  great  mass  of  preachers  are  not  distinguitihed. 
If  you  let  3'our  auditors  wander  oif  to  "  their  farms  and 
thtir  merchandise,"  or  drop  fast  asleep  at  the  outset,  it 
will  be  difficult  to  bring  them  back  to  you.  Put  the 
strength  of  your  sermon  into  the  first  ten  minutes,  and 
the  last  ten  minutes.  Begin  to  preach  in  such  a  style 
that  you  shall  nail  every  ear  to  the  pulpit ;  end  your 
discourse  with  an  appeal  that  shall  clench  the  truth  and 
send  your  hearer  home  with  God's  Word  ringing  in  his 
memory. 

Preach  positive  truths.  I^egations  never  touch  a  sin- 
ner's heart.  Unitarianism  has  no  push  in  it,  because  it 
is  a  mere  loose  aggregation  of  negatives.  Confirm  your 
auditors  ;  give  them  tonics  !  Pray  do  not  be  a  discoura- 
ging or  disconsolate  drawler ;  do  not  be  everlastingly 
bemoaning  and  bewailing  everything  It  is  something 
indeed  to  give  a  man  a  very  poor  opinion  of  himself;  but 
it  is  a  far  better  thing  to  lead  him  to  a  warmer  and 


128  THE  SUCCESSFUL  MINISTER. 

loftier  love  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  strengthen 
him  with  the  posiiive  power  of  a  stalwart  faith. 

Let  me  remind  you  in  the  next   place,   my  young 
brethren,  that  the  successful  preacher  must  always  be  a 

fearless  preacher.  I  know  well  the  temptations  which 
we  have  to  say  popular  things  instead  of  true  things ; 
and  when  a  pastor  is  sore  pressed  to  maintain  his  family, 
he  is  even  tempted  sometimes  to  put  salary  above  souls. 
The  Evil  One  whispers  to  h.im,  "  You  get  only   $1000  a 

year  and  you  must  not  drive  ^way  Judge  A or  Col, 

B ,  your  best  supporters."     To  such  subtle  whispers 

say.  evermore  "Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan!"  The 
moment  you  begin  to  tremble  before  an  auditor,  you  are 
gone  !     Fear  God  always  ;  but  man  never  ! 

In   dealing   faithfully  with  popular  sins,   you  must 

.  expect  opposition  ;  but  it  will  come  quite  as  often  from 
timid  Christians,  as  from  wrong-doers  themselves. 
Sometimes  you  really  please  those  whom  you  expected 
to  offend.  On  a  certain  Sabbath  in  my  early  ministry, 
I  preached  pretty  plainly  and  emphatically  against  the 
sin  of  making  and  vending  alcoholic  poisons.  I  do 
allude  to  that  subject  occasionally.  A  prominent 
trustee  in  my  church  who  had  made  all  his  money  by 
the  manufacture  of  liquor,  sat  during  the  sermon  and 
nibbled  the  head  of  his  cane  under  the  gaze  of  the 
whole  congregation.  After  service,  some  people  said, 
"  That  sermon  will  drive  the  Squire  off,  sure.''  But 
when  a  friend  said  to  him  timidly,  "  Squire,  how  did 
you  relish  that  V  he  very  nobly  replied,  "  If  the  little 
man  believes  it,  let  him  say  it.''  Years  afterwards  he 
sent  for  me  to  come  fifty  miles  and  stand  by  his  dying 
bed. 


THE   SUCCESSFUL  MINISTER.  1'29 

Another  temptation  is  to  write  "splendid  sermons," 
and  to  covet  popular  applause.  To  be  told  after 
preaching,  "  you  gave  us  a  magnificent  discourse,"  may 
be  a  curse  to  you  ;  but  to  be  told  "  that  sermon  cut  me 
to  the  heart,"  or  "  sent  me  to  Jesus,"  is  a  blessing  beyond 
measure.  It  is  the  seal  of  the  spirit.  You  may  toil  all 
the  week  on  an  elaborate,  ornamental  discourse,  and 
polish  it  with  the  pumi^-e-stoue  to  the  last  syllable,  and 
say  to  yourself,  '*  There  !  I  fancy  that  is  a  great  sermon." 
But  it  is  probable  that  God  will  not  think  it  a  very  great 
sermon,  and  He  will  smash  your  pride  and  self  conceit, 
by  making  it  as  barren  of  results  as  the  East  wind.  On 
the  other  hand  you  will  sometimes  deliver  a  plain,  simple 
sermon  that  you  are  almost  ashamed  of,  and  you  shall 
afterwards  learn  that  it  drew  some  poor  sinner  to  the 
Saviour. 

The  year  after  my  licensure,  I  preached  at  Saratoga. 
The  next  day  a  b  iker  in  the  village  said  to  me,  "  Young 
man!  you  are  a  stranger  here,  and  yesterday  I  pitied 
you  when  you  began,  for  you  did  n^  t  know  what  a  critical 
audience  you  had  to  address.  But  I  have  noticed  that 
if  a  minister  can  only  convince  his  congregation  during 
the  first  five  minutes  that  he  cares  for  nothing^  but  to 
save  their  souls,  he  will  kill  all  the  critics  in  the  houaeJ' 
I  have  always  thanked  that  baker  for  the  best  practical 
hint  I  ever  grot.  Old  Dr.  Alexander  never  said  a  truer 
thing  to  us  in  the  Seminary. 

6th.  This  leads  me  to  say  that  the  highest  element 
of  power  in  the  successful  preacher  is 

HEART   POWER. 

At  the  outset,  aim  to  win  the  affections  of  your  people, 


130         -  THE   SUCCESSFUL  MINISTER. 

Love  them,  and  they  will  love  you.  You  can  do  but 
little  good  to  your  auditors  if  they  do  not  like  you,  and 
none  at  all,  if  they  don't  think  enough  of  you  to  come 
and  hear  you.  Give  full  play  to  your  own  heart  while 
writing,  and  while  you  are  preaching.  Touch  the  tender 
chords.  ■  I  very  much  doubt  whether  the  man  who  has 
no  pathos  in  his  nature  was  ever  called  of  God  to  the 
sacred  ministry.  Beecher's  highest  power  is  in  his 
pathos;  so  is  Gough's  ;  so  is  Dr.  Guthrie's.  Remember 
that  your  people  have  cradles  in  their  houses,  and  sick 
beds,  and  are  all  of  them  men  and  women  "  of  like  pas- 
sions "  with  yourself.  If  you  can't  help  weei^ing,  then 
weep  ;  if  your  feelings  overcome  you,  then  break  down  I 
It  may  break  some  others  down  too,  and  reach  the  fount 
of  their  tears.  President  McCosh  lately  described  to 
me  a  wonderful  scene  in  the  Scotch  General  Assembly, 
when  Alexander  Duff  spoke  for  two  hours  to  an  audience, 
who  for  the  most  part  were  opposed  to  his  views,  and 
yet  he  so  completely  broke  them  down  by  his  over- 
whelming pathos,  that  every  man  in  the  multitude  was 
weeping ;  and  the  member  of  Parliamebt  who  went 
around  to  "  lift  "  the  missionary  collection  afterwards, 
walked  with  his  hankerchief  to  his  eyes,  and  the  tears 
dropping  from  his  cheeks  !  The  vast  assembly  was  a 
perfect  Bochim. 

The  two  most  successful  ministers  in  this  city  are  not 
men  who  preach  splendid  intellectual  discourses,  but  are 
possessed  of  this  heart-power  both  in  the  pulpit,  the 
prayer- meeting,  and  in  their 

PASTORAL    V^ORK. 
7th.     Young  brethren !    aim   from   the   start   to  be 


.     THE  SUCCESSFUL  MINISTER.  ]3l 

thorough  pastors.  During  the  week  go  to  those  whom 
you  expect  to  come  to  you  on  the  Sabbath.  In  the 
morning  of  each  day,  study  l)ooks ;  in  the  afternoon, 
study  door-plates  and — human  nature.  Your  people 
will  give  you  material  for  your  best  practical  sermons. 
After  an  effective  Sunday  work,  go  around  among  your 
flock,  as  Napoleon  rode  over  the  field  after  a  battle,  to 
see  where  the  shot  struck,  and  who  were  amonof  the 
wounded. 

In  pastoral  visiting,  go  Y\^here  you  are  needed  the 
most.  If  you  neglect  anybody,  neglect  the  strong,  the 
cultured  and  the  godly.  Go  to  the  unconverted  ;  go  to 
the  suffering ;  and  go  to  those  houses  where  the  world 
comes  the  least.  Get  acquainted  with  everybody,  and 
don't  forge t.to  recognize  everybody  in  the  street.  Always 
have  a  tract  or  two  in  your  pocket  and  a  kind  word  on 
your  lips.  Be  sure  of  this,  that  every  person,  hioh  or 
humble,  likes  personal  attention. 

There  are  two  requisites  for  a  successful  minister  that 
I  must  just  allude  to  beforee  I  close  these  rambling  re- 
marks. The  one  is — and  a  very  essential  one  too — that 
he  possess 

VIGOROUS  HEALTH. 

The  men  who  have  produced  the  greatest  effect  in  the 
pulpit, — Chalmers,  Lyman  Beecher,  Spurgeon,  Guthrie, 
&c., — h0-ve  been  men  who  had  great  volumes  of  animal 
heat.  To  preserve  health,  secure  sound  sleep.  Never 
touch  a  sermon  on  Saturday  night.  Eat  nourishing 
food,  and  use  tea  and  coffee  "  as  not  abusing  them." 
[Note — By  abstaining  from  them  as  a  common  bevera.£je 
entirely. — Com.]  However  jaded  you  may  be,  never 
touch  any  such  treacherous  stimulants  as  port  wine  and 


132  THE   SUCCESSFCTL  MINISTER. 

ale.  When  I  cannot  utter  the  message  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  without  putting  a  bottle  to  my  lips,  I  shall  be 
quite  sure  that  the  Lord  has  demitted  me  from  the 
Christian  ministry.  The  weak  point  with  many  minis- 
ters is  the  throat ;  and  they  get  bronchial  diseases  by 
reading  in  the  pulpit  with  their  chins  dropped  down  On 
the  breast.  Hold  up  your  heads !  Auctioneers  and 
Methodist  circuit- riders  seldom  have  bronchitis. 

In  these  days  it  is  quite  indispensable  to  success  that 
a  pastor  have  Administrative  ability.  Common  sense  is 
a  part  of  the  divine  call  to  the  ministry ;  and  you  must 
use  discretion  and  zeal  in  the  direction  and  develop- 
ment of  your  church  activities.  Aim  to  keep  everybody 
at  work.  Set  the  new  converts  at  some  work  straight- 
way.  One  great  element  of  success  witli  Dr.  Asa  D. 
Smith  was  the  development  of  his  flock  in  laboring  and 
giving.  But  when  you  have  done  your  utmost  to  spur  on 
your  people  to  work  for  Christ,  you  will  have  drones 
enough  left  to  vex  your  souls  beyond  measure. 

Study  the  best  models ;  road  carefully  the  lives  and 
the  methods  of  such  men  as  Robert  McCheyne,  Payson, 
Chalmers,  thie  elder  Beecher,  and  the  apostolic  William 
C.  Burns.  Work  for  RESULTS.  ""  Preach  for  RESULTS. 
In  your  audience  nearly  every  sabbath  will  be  some 
immortal  soul  who  is  hearing  his  lad  sermon.  When 
I  preached  once  in  Grant's  army  I  said  to  myself 
*'  Yonder  is  the  man  who  will  soon  be  carried  wounded 
and  dying  to  the  real' .'" 

And  now  as  you  look  out  upon  the  vast  field  white  to 
the  harvest,  and  much  of  it  perishing  for  want  of  reapers, 
let  the  view  only  quicken  you  to  redouble  your  diligence, 
and  to  make  your  sickles  sharp  by  study  and  by  prayer ! 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  MINISTER.  133 

Do  not  go  until  the  blade  is  keen  ;  and  then  grasp  and 
wield  it  until  your  hand  is  vstiff  in  death  !  Yonder  waits 
your  pulpit.  Prepare  to  enter  it  in  the  love  of  Christ. 
When  you  are  in  it,  remember  that  you  will  always 
have  Almighty  God  as  one  of  your  auditors,  and  every 
sermon  you  preach  may  possibly  be  your  last. 


Father  of  mercies,  bow  thine  ear, 
Attentive  to  our  earnest  prayer ; 
We  plead  for  those  who  plead  for  thee ; 
Successful  may  they  ever  be. 

Clothe  them  with  energy  divine, 
And  let  their  messages  be  thine ; 
To  them  thy  sacred  truth  reveal ; 
Suppress  their  fear,  inflame  their  zeal. 

Teach  them  to  sow  the  precious  seed ; 
Teach  them,  thy  chosen  flock  to  feed ; 
Teach  them,  immortal  souls  to  gain — 
Souls  that  will  well  reward  their  pain. 

12 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
HOW     TO     PKEACH, 
By  Rev.  Theodore  L.  Cutler. 

"  Shall  I  write  my  sermons,  or  shall  I  preach  extem- 
poraneously 1  Please  reply  through  The  Independent, 
for  the  benefit  of  other  young  beginners  like  myself." 

The  good  brother  who  sends  this  ancient  and  oft. agi- 
tated question  might  as  well  have  accompanied  it  with 
the  other  equally  ancient  one,  "  What  shall  I  eat  for  my 
dinner?  "  To  both  questions  we  would  render  the  same 
answer:  "Just  what  agrees  with  you  best."  Some 
men — like  President  Edwards  and  Dr.  Chalmers— were 
created  to  preach  with  notes.  Their  minds  worked  ta 
the  best  advantage  in  that  method.  Some  other  men — 
like  Whitefield  and  Spurgeon — were  created  to  preach 
without  a  line  of  prepared  manuscript.  Yet  both  of 
these  latter  preachers  made  thorough  preparation  for  the 
pulpit,  or  they  never  would  have  won  their  marvelous 
success  as  effective  preachers  of  the  Gospel. 

To  the  question  of  our  young  brother,  "  Shall  I  write 
my  sermons  ?  "  we  would  unhesitatingly  answer  :  "  Yes, 
Write  out  just  as  carefully  and  thoroughly  as  possible 
at  least  one  sermon  every  week."     To  a  novice  in  the 


HOW  TO  PREACH.  135 

ministry  this  is  almost  indispensable.  Writing  makes 
*an  exact  man,  just  as  reading  makes  a  full  man.  Thought 
should  be  bestowed  on  every  sentence,  and  on  every 
word  in  the  sentence.  Dr.  Bethume  once  told  us  that 
he  spent  a  whole  day  on  a  single  sentence  in  his  oration 
before  the  *'  Porter  Society,"  at  Andover ;  but  those  ' 
half  dozen  lines  are  a  masterpiece  of  powerful  compo- 
sition. Painful  writing  makes  easy  hearing  for  the 
auditors. 

After  you  have  written  out  your  sermon,  and  pruned 
it  to  the  last  degree,  you  may  either  take  the  notes  with 
you  to  the  pulpit,  or  not,  just  as  you  prefer.     It  does 
not  follow  that,  because  you  have  written  your  discourse, 
you  should  read  it  afterward.     If  you  can  train  your 
memory  to  recall  the  whole  sermon,  then  so  much  the 
better  ;  you  can  give   your  eyes  to  your  audience,  and 
not  to  your  "parchments."     Our  excellent  friend.  Dr. 
John  Hall,  ranks  as  an  extempore  preacher,  and  one  of 
the  best;   and  yet  he  said  to  us,  lately  :  "  I  make  it  a 
rule  to  write  one  sermon  every  week."     He  writes  it  on 
his  meriiory  at  the  same  time.     This  is  a  habit  easily 
acquired.     The  Rev.  Newman  Hall  delivered  a  capital 
discourse  in  our  pulpit  from  a  "  brief  "  of  twenty  lines. 
Three  months  afterward  he  wrote  out  the  same  discourse 
verbatim  for  publication  !     Such  a  memory  as  that  is  a 
treasure.     Our   young  brother  can  probably  have  just 
such  a  well-trained  "beast  of  burden"  of  his  own,  if 
he  chooses.     Memory  is  the  most  docile  of  mental  fac- 
ulties.    Its  best  strengthener  is  exercise. 

Suppose  that  you  take  your  notes  to  the  pulpit.  Must 
you  pin  your  eyes  upon  them,  and  read  them  with  slav- 
ish monotony  ?     By  no  means.     Dr.  Chalmers  wrote  out 


136  HOW  TO  PEEACH.      * 

his  magnificent  astronomical  discourses,  and  then  deliv- 
ered them  in  tones  that  "made  the  rafters  roar."  Dn 
Addison  Alexander,  in  his  best  days,  was  never  more 
eloquent  than  over  his  manuscript.  Dr.  Griffin's  splen- 
did sermon  on  the  "  Worth  of  the  Soul  "  was  finished  to 
the  last  syllable,  and  then  delivered  with  a  tremendous 
vehemence,  that  made  his  auditors  tremble.  It  is  not 
80  difficult  a  feat  as  many  imagine  to  grow  impassioned 
over  a  manuscript.  A  preacher  of  God's  Word  has  no 
business  to  go  into  the  sacred  desk  unless  he  has  the 
"fire  in  his  bones,"  and  that  inward  fire  will  kindle  his 
paper  into  a  blaze. 

The  man  who  is  master  of  the  situation  may  use 
notes,  "  as  not  abusing^  them.'*  He  mav  manage  to 
interject  in  the  midst  of  his  written  matter  the  most 
effective  passages  which  flash  upon  him  in  the  heat  of 
the  moment.  This  is  one  of  Mr.  Beecher's  methods. 
For  a  true  orator  should  have  many  methods,  and  be  the 
slave  of  none.  We  have  sat  in  the  Ph^mouth  pulpit 
with  Boanerges,  when  he  had  fully  one-half  of  his  dis- 
course on  loose  sheets  before  him.  After  readinor  a  few 
moments  with  great  animation,  he  stepped  to  the  end  of 
his  desk,  threw  up  a  rocket  or  two,  or  else  introduced 
one  of  his  pathetic  master-strokes  in  a  sweet  undertone, 
and  then  returned  to  his  notes  again.  This  method 
combines  the  advantages  of  previous  preparation  and 
loo^ical  arrano'ement  with  the  freedom  of  offhand  utter- 
ance.  If  the  word  in  the  manuscript  is  not  so  short  or 
so  strong  as  it  ought  to  be,  the  collected  speaker  can 
make  the  change  on  the  instant.  .  If  in  the  quiet  of  his 
study  he  wrote  the  phrase  "  eternal  retribution,"  he  will 
be  very  apt  to  condense  two  big  words  into  the  single 


KOW.  TO  PREACH.  137 

one,  hell.  If  he  had  described  a  man  as  laboring  under 
a  "  remarkable  obliquity  of  intellect,"  he  will  probabiy 
pack  the  same  thought  into  the  wordfooL  The  best 
word  is  often  the  very  word  that  suggests  itself  in  the 
heat  of  Xhe  occasion.  One  element  of  Spurgeon's  power 
is  the  short,  sharp,  simple  English  which  he  always 
uses. 

But  Mr.  Spurgeon,  you  may  say,  always  extemporizes. 
So  he  does.  His  is  one  of  those  minds  which  work  bet- 
ter under  the  magnetism  of  the  pulpit  and  the  crowd, 
than  in  the  more  chilling  atmosphere  of  his  study. 
There  are  some  men  who  are  oftener  inspired  through 
the  tongue  than  they  are  through  the  pen.  They  are 
weak  writers,  but  powerful  speakers.  Henry  Clay  was 
such  a  man.  So  was  the  eloquent  John  Breckenridge, 
of  Princeton  Seminary.  Even  grand  old  Lyman  Beecher 
was  never  so  overwhelminor  as  when  in  the  full  torrent 
of  argument  before  an  audience.  He  wrote  with  ad- 
mirable  tigor  ;  but  it  required  the  electricity  of  the 
pulpit  to  make  him  "thunder  all  round  the  horizon  " 
of  truth.  Lyman  Beecher  was  the  king  of  American 
preachers,  and  he  never  diluted  his  discourses  with  the 
wish-wash  of  what  is  often  called  in  our  day  "  liberal 
Christianity." 

Three  things  are  essential  to  success  in  extemporane- 
ous oratory.  The  first  is,  that  the  preacher  be  a  master 
of  his  subject ;  and  this  requires  previous  study.  The 
second  is,  that  he  be  a  master  of  lanoruao-e,  and  have  a 
ready  and  copious  supply  of  words  at  his  command.  The| 
third  is,  that  he  have  good  digestion.  It  is  a  desperately 
difficult  thing  for  a  man  to  preach  well  when  he  is  under 

the  nightmare  of  dyspepsia.     The  highest  success  in  the 
12* 


138  HOW  TO  PEEACH. 

pulpit  must  depend  not  only  on  the  help  of  God,  but  on 
abound  bodily  constitution.  Even  the  peerless  Dr. 
Guthrie,  of  Scotland,  whom  the  London  Times  well 
styled  "the  most  eloquent  man  in  Europe,"  has  been 
stricken  down  from  his  work  by  physical  disease. 

If  our  young  questioner  has  the  gift  of  a  ready  utter- 
ance, let  him  by  all  means  cultivate  it.  JjqI  him  pay 
DO  heed  to  old  Dr.  Emmons's  famous  witticism,  that 
*'  extempore  preaching  is  'pro  tempore  preaching."  Let 
him  study  his  subject  thoroughly,  and  with  prayer.  Let 
him  write  often  and  carefully,  and  then  leave  his  notes 
at  home,  if  he  can  get  on  possibly  without  them.  Let 
him  give  full  play  _  to  his  instincts  and  his  affections. 
The  grandest  p»wer  in  the  pulpit  is  heart-potuer. 

Eloquence  is  truth,  in  earnest.  When  God's  truth 
gets  full  possession  of  a  man's  conscience  ;  when  all  his 
sympathies  are  in  full  play ;  when  the  soul  becomes 
luminous  until  the  interior  glow  blazes  out  through 
every  crevice  ;  when  the  whole  man  is  on  fire  irom  head 
to  foot ;  then  is  he  naturally  and  honestly  and  irresis- 
tibly eloquent.  To  this  result  the  heart  contributes 
even  more  than  the  head.  The  grandest  achievements 
of  the  pulpit  have  been  reached  when  the  minister  of 
Christ  has  received  the  fullest  celestial  baptism  of  love, 
when  self  has  been  swallowed  up  in  the  love  of  souls 
and  in  the  glory  that  surrounds  the  cross  of  Calvary. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

WINNING   SOULS   TO    CHRIST. 
By  Theodore  L.  Cutler,  D.  D. 

Let  me  suggest  as  the  key-note  for  the  coming  year — 
winning  souls.  Some  one  inquired  of  Dr.  Lyman 
Beecher,  in  his  old  age,  *'  Doctor,  j^ou  know  many 
things  ;  but  what  do  you  think  the  main  thing  ?  "  The 
sturdy  old  hero  of  forty  revivals  answered,  "  It  is  not 
theology  ;  it  is  not  controver.-^y  ;  it  is  saving  souls,''' 

Tiiis  is  a  personal  work.  Each  man  and  woman  must 
be  a-  fisher.  It  is  a  great  mistake  to  suppose  that  a 
whole  church  can  lay  hold  of  a  huge  drag-net,  and  draw 
in,  at  a  single  haul,  a  "  multitude  of  fishes."  This  is  an 
individual  work  upon  individual  hearts.  The  pastor 
must  do  his  part  in  the  pulpit  and  in  personal  inter- 
views. The  Sunday  school  teacher  must  take  hold  of 
his  pupils  one  by  one.  The  Christian  who  v^^ould  win 
Harlan  Page's  success  must  adopt  Harlan  Page's  method  ; 
and  that  was  to  try  to  do  some  good  to  every  one  he  met. 
Sometimes  it  was  only  a  kind  but  impressive  word  ; 
sometimes  it  was  a  faithful  private  conversation  ;  some- 
times he  wrote  a  letter  to  the  unconverted,  invitino-  to 
the  Saviour ;  sometimes  he  did  a  kindness  to  unlock  the 


140  WINNING  SOULS  TO  CHRIST. 

heart,  and  then  followed  it  by  a  close  appeal.  A  great 
many  crude  things  have  been  said  about  the  "machinery 
of  revivals;  "  but  there  is  one  sort  of  machinery  as  old 
as  the  apostles,  and  vv^hich  never  wears  out — it  is  the 
simple  method  of  personal  effort,  prompted  by  love. 
The  Acts  of  the  Apostles  are  not  a  history  of  churches, 
but  of  individual  Christians  ;  the  fishery  for  souls  was 
not  by  a  combined  pull  on  an  ecclesiastical  drag-net, 
but  each  fisher  dropped  his  own  hook,  baited  with  love. 

We  emphasize  this  last  pithy  word.  Souls  must  be 
loved  toward  Christ.  He  that  winneth  is  wise.  Cutting 
words  to  the  unconverted  are  only  the  foolish  attempt  to 
bait  flies  with  vineojar.  "  Truthinof  it  in  love"  is  the 
literal  reading  of  Paul's  method  which  he  commends  in 
his  letter  to  the  brethren  at  Ephesus.  Sinners  will  bear 
tremendously  close  and  searching  truth,  if  it  is  only 
spoken  out  of  a  heart  that  is  unmistakably  moved  by  an 
unselfish  affection.  The  first  point  is  persuasion  ;  or,  in 
other  words,  to  move  the  sinner  to  move  himself.  It  has 
been  well  said  that  the  divine  method  for  winning' souls 
is  not  by  a  "  thou  shall ;  "  but  by  persuading  each  sin- 
ner to  say  for  himself,  "I  will."  To  accomplish  this 
persuasion,  the  first  essential  is  to  love  a  man's  soul,  and 
to  convince  him  that  you  do  love  him.  The  only  people 
in  our  churches  who  really  do  much  good  are  those  who 
have  established  a  confidence  in  their  own  sincerity,  and 
who  get  credit  for  a  disinterested  benevolence.  Ungodly 
persons  will  sometimes  phrase  their  opinions  of  a  church. 

member  on  this  wise  :  "  I  believe  in  Mr.  A .     He 

pays  his  debts,  and  he  came  to  sit  up  with  me  when  I 

was  sick.     He's  no  Pharisee."     Now,  such  a  Mr.  A 

is  the  only  one  who  has  sufiiciently  won  the  confidence 


WINNING  SOULS  TO  CHRIST.  141 

of  impenitent  people  to  win  them  over  to  Christ.  No 
others  need  make  the  attempt. 

There  is  a  class  of  censorious  Christians  who  pray  and 
speak  vitriol  and  vinegar  in  the  prayer,  meetings,  who 
are  perpetually  berating  the  whole  church  for  its  cold- 
ness and  lethargy,  and  wliose  stereotyped  harangue  is : 
"  Men  and  brethren,  sinners  all  around  us  are  going 
down  by  thousands  to  Hell  !  "  These  are  the  fishermen 
who  perpetually  lash  the  waters  into  commotion  with 
their  fishins^.rods,  but  who  never  catch  even  a  nibble. 
These  people  need  a  "revival"  themselves — a  revival 
of  the  spirit  of  Christ  in  their  own  hearts.  Our  All-wise 
Master  never  would  have  won  Zaccheus  over  by  denounc- 
ing him  as  an  extortionate  publican.  He  did  win  him 
by  personal  attention.  When  the  man  whom  all  Jericho 
was  in  the  habit  of  kicking  at,  found  at  last  a  friend, 
who  had  a  "fellow-feeling"  for  him,  he  opened  his 
heart  to  him.  Christ  "  went  to  be  a  guest  with  a  man 
who  was  a  sinner."  He  not  only  got  into  that  sinner's 
house,  but  into  his  heart. 

Whenever  I  think  of  winniiig  souls  to  Christ,  I  recall 
the  history  of  a  beloved  friend,  who  thirty  years  ago 
was  a  wretched  waif  on  the  current  of  "fast  living" 
(which  really  means  fast  dying).  The  reckless  youth 
seemed  a,bandoned  of  God  and  man.  He  spent  his 
nights  in  the  buffooneries  of  the  dram-shop,  and  his  days 
in  the  waking  remorse  of  a  drunkard.  On  a  certain 
Sabbath  afternoon  he  was  sauntering  through  the  public 
square  of  WorcOvSter,  out  of  humor  with  all  the  world 
and-^p^ith  himself.  A  kind  voice  suddenly  saluted  him. 
It  was  from  a  stranger,  who  touched  him  on  the  shoulder, 
and  said,   very  cordially :    "  Mr.   Gough,   I   believe  ? " 


142  WINNING  SOtJLS  TO  CHRIST. 

"  Yes,  sir,  that's  my  name."  Then  followed  a  few  kind 
words  from  the  benevolent  stranger,  with  a  pressing  in- 
vitation to  *'  to  come  to  our  meeting:  to-morrow  night, 
where  I  will  introduce  you  to  good  friends,  who  will  help 
you  to  keep  a  temperance  pledge."  The  promise  was 
made  on  the  spot,  and  faithfully  kept.  The  pledge  was 
taken,  and  by  God^  help  is  kept  to  this  hour.  The  poor 
boot  maker  who  tapped  that  youth  on  the  shoulder  has 
gone  to  Heaven.  But  the  man  he  saved  has  touched 
more  hearts  to  tears  than  any  other  liviDg  man  on  the 
globe.  Methinks,  when  I  listen  to  the  thunders  of  ap- 
plause which  greet  John  B.  Gough  in  vast  crowded  lec- 
ture-halls, I  am  only  hearing  the  echoes  of  that  tap  on 
the  shoulder  under  the  elms  of  Worcester.  He  that 
winneth  souls  is  wise. 

If  I  may  be  allowed  to  suggest  the  class  upon  whom 
the  soul-winning  process  should  be  attempted,  I  would 
suggest,  not  the  easy  cases,  but  the  hardest.  It  is  not 
enouoh  to  reach  those  who  are  nearest  to  the  Kino^dom 
of  Heaven.  Let  us  try  for  those  who  are  farthest  oflf. 
A  "  revival  "  that  shall  gather  in  the  scoffers  and  the 
Sabbath-breakers,  the  drunkards  and  the  sensualists — 
in  "  high  lifLi,"  as  well  as  in  low — can  only  come  from  a 
revival  of  Christ's  loving  and  laborious  spirit  in  the 
hearts  of  his  people.  The  best  warfare  against  the 
Devil  is  to  win  away  his  victims,  one  by  one,  to  the  side 
of  Jesus. 


CHAPTER  XXIY. 

THE   REVIVAL   WE   NEED. 

a  revival  op  righteousness.  — compiler, 

By  Theodore  L.  Cutler,  D.  D. 

The  departure  of  the  veteran  Finney  to  his  rest  and 
the  return  of  Messrs.  Moody  and  Sankey  to  their  native 
shores  both  c^ll  up  to  men's  minds  at  once  the  word  re~ 
vival.  The  ascending  Elijah  of  Oberlin,  leaving  his 
mantle  to  the  returning  Elisha,  has  entered  upon  his 
heavenly  joys ;  and  not  the  least  of  these  joys  must  be 
his  discovery  of  many  souls  in  Heaven  whom  his  labors 
brought  thither.  That  one  successful  "  revivalist"  has 
gone,  and  that  another  one,  accompanied  by  his  singicg 
associate,  has  come  to  us,  is  very  certain,  but  it  is  not 
absolutely  certain  that  a  general  and  powerful  awakening 
is  to  come  with  him.  To  human  eye  it  looks  probable. 
Good  men  and  women  are  looking,  longing,  and  earnestly 
praying  for  a  new  Pentecost.  But  what  kind  of  a  revi- 
val is  most  needed  ?  What  graces  and  forces  of  the 
Christian  Church  need  most  to  be  revived,  what  weak 
points  need  most  to  be  strengthened,  what  brot^n  walls 
require  to  be  rebuilt  ?    God  knoweth  best,  and  His  ways 


144  THE  REVIVAL  WE  NEED. 

are  higher  than  our  ways.  But  there  are  some  things 
that  we  mortals  can  see,  and,  seeing  them,  can  strive  to 
secure  them. 

It  is  very  certain  that  one  thing  which  sensible  men 
ought  not  to  strive  after  is  a  mere  outbreak  of  spasmodic 
excitement,  kindled  by  artificial  methods.  All  religious 
awakenings  must  be  attended  with  some  degree  of  excite- 
ment. Peter  and  John  made  no  small  stir  in  Jerusalem, 
as  Brother  Moody  has  made  no  small  stir  in  London. 
But  the  excitement  was  an  incident,  not  an  end.  When 
the  noise  of  the  thunder  and  the  rain  has  passed  away, 
the  blessings  of  the  spiritual  shower  remain.  Good  men 
should  neither  seek  after  popular  excitement  nor  be 
afraid  of  it  if  it  comes.  The  spiritual  result  is  what 
should  be  aimed  at,  whether  God  shall  order  it  in  si- 
lence or  amid  violent  demonstrations  of  popular  feeling. 

There  were  some  methods  employed  by  the  late  Pres- 
ident Finney  in  the  days  of  his  grandest  success,  which 
were  copied  after  the  apostolic  models  and  which  cannot 
be  easily  improved.  He  preached  God's  Word,  clear 
through,  and  without  flinching.  Never  muffling  the 
Sword  of  the  Spirit,  he  made  it  cut  to  the  very  marrow. 
Sometimes  he  indulged  in  extravagant  phrases,  and  often 
rung  changes  upon  the  word  "  hell  "  until  the  oft-reiter- 
ation  somewhat  cheapened  its  etfect  on  the  conscience. 
These  were  small  blemishes  upon  a  glorious  work. 

Finney's  great  aim  was  to  make  every  hearer  feel 
that  he  was  a  sinner  against  a  holy  God  ;  that  sin  was 
exceeding  henious  and  justly  damnable  ;  that  sin  should 
be  abandoned  straightway,  and  the  sinner  should  turn 
immediately  unto  God,  who  would  abundantly  pardon 
him,  through  Jesus  Christ  as  a  complete  Saviour.     It 


THE  REVIVAL  WE  NEED.  145 

was  no  scrimped  and  shallow  gospel  ttiat  our  American 
Boanerges  preached ;  but  a  thorough  depravity  to  be 
fled  from,  and  a  thorough  holiness  of  heart  and  life  to  be 
striven  for.  He  put  his  plow  in  deep,  clear  under  men's 
secret  motives,  and  it  often  made  ripping  work. 

The  conviction  of  personal  guilt  produced  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  under  Finney's  powerful  preaching  was  usually 
very  acute  and  pungent.  The  conversions  to  a  better 
life  bore,  usually,  an  impression  as  clean-cut  as  the 
stamp  of  the  die  on  a  new  dollar  from  the  mint.  Men 
of  intellect  and  culture  were  reached  by  his  trenchant 
arguments.  Skeptics  were  revolutionized.  The  stan- 
dard of  daily  life  which  he  held  up  was  a  high  and  pure 
and  manly  and  noble  one.  It  demanded  stern  self-de- 
nial and  proved  its  love  of  Jesus  Christ  by  keeping  his 
commandments. 

As  a  surbordinate  agency  to  the  preaching  of  the 
Word,  Mr.  Finney  employed  the  "  anxious  seat  "  and  the 
inquiry  meeting  very  much  as  Mr.  Moody  has  employed 
the  inquiry  meeting  in  Great  Britian.  The  two-fold  object 
was  spiritual  direction  in  order  to  immediate  decision 
for  Christ.  Conversion  was  set  forth  not  as  an  end,  but 
only  as  the  starting-point  of  a  true  and  righteous  life, 
with  Heaven's  perfection  as  its  goal.  It  is  not  to  be  won- 
•dered  at,  that  such  methods  wrought  glorious  results. 
Many  of  the  best  men  and  women  of  the  last  quarter  of 
a  century,  who  have  led  in  Christian  effort  and  in  moral 
reforms,  were  the  shining  products  of  Charles  G.  Finney's 
powerful  ministry. 

We  have  outlined  some  of  the  chief  characteristics  of 

the  preaching  and  the  methods  employed  in  the  great 

revivals  from   1820  to  1810,  because  we  believe  that 
13 


146  THE  EEVIVAL  WE  NEED. 

those  same  features  deserve  to  be  employed  again.  Sub- 
stantially, they  have  their  foundations  in  God's  Word 
and  in  the  necesities  of  human  nature,  which  are  always 
the  same. 

We  need  now  more  thorough  study  of  God's  Word  ; 
and,  what  is  far  more  important  still,  a  thorough  keeping 
of  God's  law.  That  law  is  no  more  obsolete  than  is  the 
precious  atoning  blood  of  Calvary.  The  pulpit  of  our 
day  needs  to  give  greater  emphasis  to  the  guilt  of  sin 
and  its  inevitable  retributions.  A  sinner  needs  to  know 
just  what  he  now  is,  before  he  is  likely  to  seek  to  be- 
come better.  Of  a  certain  sort  of  mushy  sentimentalism 
w^e  have  had  enough  and  too  much.  May  God  teach  all 
his  teachers  how  to  teach  dying  souls  the  only  way  to 
Life. 

The  revival  we  need  is  not  only  a  revival  of  sounder 
scriptural  preaching,  but  a  revival  of  true  Christian  liv- 
ing. We  have  had  quite  a  surfeit  of  the  religion  which 
luxuriates  in  the  devout  fervors  of  the  prayer-meeting 
and  the  camp-ground,  which  sings  sweet  hymns  and  ap- 
plauds sweet  sermons,  and  then  goes  straight  off  to  its 
money.grasping  and  its  pleasure-seeking  and  its  pander- 
ings to  self  and  sin.  God  forbid  that  we  speak  lightly 
of  true  spiritual  emotion  1  But  the  Christianity  which 
Christ  demands  is  something  deeper  than  a  song  or  a 
sermon  or  a  sacrament.  It  is  the  holyj,and  the  humble 
imitation  of  himself. 

The  revival,  then,  which  we  need,  is  a  revival  of  the 
religion  which  keeps  God's  commandments  ;  which  tells 
the  truth  and  sticks  to  its  promises  ;  which  pays  twenty 
shillings  to  the  pound;  which  cares  more  for  a  good 
character  than  a  fine  coat ;  which  votes  at  the  ballot- 


THE   REVIVAL  WE   NEED.  147 

box  in  the  same  direction  that  it  prays ;  which  denies 
ungodly  lusts,  and  wbich  can  be  trusted  in  every  stress 
of  temptation.  A  revival  which  will  sweeten  our  homes^ 
and  chasten  our  press  and  purify  our  politics  and  cleanse 
our  business  and  commerce  from  roguery  and  rottenness, 
would  be  a  boon  from  Heaven.  A  revival  which  will 
bring  not  only  a  Bible-knowledge,  but  a  Bible  conscience 
to  all,  is  what  tne  land  is  dying  for.  The  world's  sorest 
want  to-day  is  more  Christ-like  men  and  women.  The 
preaching  it  needs  is — more  sermons  in  shoes. 

If  our  honored  and  beloved  countrymen.  Moody  and 
Sankey,  have  come  to  us  freighted  with  such  messages 
and  aims  and  holy  purposes,  then  may  God  give  them 
an  abundant  entrance  everywhere,  and  a  mighty  suc- 
cess. The  field  is  ripe  and  ready  for  their  sickles.  The 
Divine  Spirit  will  surely  attend  them.  God's  true 
people  will  welcome  them  with  prayers  and  eager  sym- 
patliy.  Scoffers  may  sneer  and  devils  may  rage  ;  but 
the  word  of  Jehovah  will  grow  mightily  and  prevail.  To 
prepare  for  such  a  revival,  let  us  be  putting  away  sin 
from  our  hearts  and  be  seeking.an  inflow  of  the  Spirit  of 
Jesus. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

9 

KINDLING    THE    FIRE. 
By  Rev.  Theo.  L.  Cutler,  D.  D. 

"  This  looks  like  slow  work,"  we  remarked  to  Brother 
Moody,  in  the  little  prayer-room  of  Calvary  Chapel, 
Brooklyn,  during  the  winter  of  1872. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  modest  evangelist,  "it  is  slow,  and 
it  looks  like  a  small  work.  But  if  you  want  to  kindle  a 
fire  you  collect  a  handful  of  sticks,  light  them  with  a 
match,  and  keep  blowing  until  they  begin  to  blaze 
After  the  fire  is  once  fairly  started,  you  may  heap  on  as 
much  wood  as  you  can  get.  So  I  am  working  here  with 
a  handful  of  Christians,  endeavoring  to  get  them  to  con- 
secrate themselves  fully  to  Jesus  ;  and  if  they  get  well 
warmed  with  divine  love,  1  have  no  fear  but  that  a  gen- 
uine revival  will  begin  and  sinners  will  be  converted." 

Mr.  Moody  was  right.  The  handful  of  disciples  in 
that  meeting  did  receive  a  fresh  baptism,  and  within  two 
months  over  one  hundred  souls  were  converted  and  re- 
ceived into  the  fellowship  of  our  church. 

This  little  incident  not  only  gives  a  clew  to  the  suc- 
cess of  Mr.  Moody  in  more  than  one  of  his  evangelistic 
campaigns,  but  it  affords  a  timely  hint  to  those  pastors 


KINDLING  THE  FIEE.  149 

and  working  Christians  who  are  longing  for  a  revival  in 
their  own  churches.  God's  word  teaches  us  never  to 
despise  the  day  of  small  things.  The  mightiest  flame 
which  dyes  the  heavens  with  its  crimson  glow,  was  once 
a  spark — a  mere  seed  of  fire. 

Pentecost  began  with  a  small  prayer-meeting  in  an 
upper  room.  Had  there  been  a  daily  paper  in  Jerusa- 
lem about  those  times,  it  would  probably  have  bestowed 
but  a  scanty  notice  upon  that  gathering  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  fishermen  and  publicans  and  other  despised 
"  fanatics,"  who  assembled  to  pay  honor  to  the  crucified 
Nazarene.  But  the  fire  was  kindled  in  that  upper  room 
which,  within  a  dozen  years,  had  leaped  over  the  civil- 
ized world.  The  Eeformation  of  the  sixteenth  century 
had  its  seed  of  fire  in  Martin  Luther's  chamber  at 
Erfurth. 

This  is  the  way  that  revivals  begin.  Jeremiah  Lam- 
phier  and  Mahloa  T.  Hewitt,  and  one  or  two  other 
zealous  spirits,  came  together  in  the  upper  room  in  Ful- 
ton street.  New  York,  and  prayed  together  till  their 
hearts  burned  within  them.  Brother  Hewitt  told  me 
that  it  seemed  an  even  chance  for  several  days  whether 
the  meeting  would  live  or  die.  The  Holy  Spirit's  breath 
fanned  the  spark.  It  kindled,  and  by  the  end  of  four 
months  New  York  was  in  a  blaze.  No  one  has  yet  seen 
the  ashes  of  that  fire  in  Fulton  street,  it  has  burned  for 
eighteen  years. 

The  late  Dr.  Thomas  H.  Skinner  used  to  tell  of  a 

wonderful  coming  together  of  three  men  in  his  study  in 

Philadelphia  when  he   was  pastor  of  the  Arch  Street 

church.      They  travailed  with  God  in  prayer.      They 

made  a  clean  breast  in  confession  of  sin,  and  broke  down 
13* 


150  KINDLING  THE  FIRE. 

before  God.  One  and  another  church  officer  came  in 
and  joined  them.  The  heavenly  flame  soon  spread 
through  the  whole  church  in  one  of  the  most  powerful 
revivals  ever  known  in  Philadelphia.  It  was  during 
that  awakening  that  Dr.  Lyman  Beecher  delivered  his 
celebrated  discourse  on  the  "  Goyernment  of  God,"  and 
when  he  came  down  from  the  pulpit  he  was  asked, 
"  Doctor,  how  long  did  it  take  you  to  prepare  that  ser- 
mon?" "About  forty  years,"  replied  the  veteran. 
Such  sermons  as  that  are  a  growth,  not  a  momentary 
inspiration.     Oaks  do  not  spring  up  like  gourds. 

Many  a  pastor  has  had  some  such  experience  as  Dr. 
Skinner's  in  Arch  Street.  While  going  through  my 
congregation  one  afternoon  on  pastoral  visitation,  I  found 
three  persons  under  deep  conviction  of  sin.  I  at  once 
summoned  mv  church-officers  together  and  recommended 
a  daily  prayer- meeting  for  the  outporing  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  When  the  first  inquiry-meeting  was  held  the 
officers  took  their  hats  and  went  home.  I  wrote  each 
one  of  them  a  sharp  note.  One  or  two  were  affronted, 
but  the  irritation  proved  a  means  of  grace.  It  is  a  good 
thing  to  get  a  sleepy  backslider  thoroughly  angry  ;  when 
a  wound  smarts  it  is  commonly  healing.  Mr.  Moody 
wittily  says,  "  When  God  awakens  a  sleeping  soul  it 
generally  wakes  up  cross.''  Let  us  never  be  alarmed 
when  the  truth,  working  in  a  conscience,  produces  sharp 
words.  The  fire  is  getting  into  the  bones.  In  a  few 
days  I  found  all  my  staff  of  elders  and  deacons  well 
warmed  to  the  work.     A  blessed  revival  followed. 

All  these  instances  which  I  have  cited — and  I  could 
multiply  them  largely — point  one  way.  They  all  show 
that  in  kindling  a  spiritual  fire  the  true  method  is  for 


KINDLING  THE  FIRE.  151 

two  or  three  earnest  Christians  to  come  together  humbly, 
and  in  a  penitential  spirit,  lay  themselves  down  at  the 
feet  of  Jesus,  and  ask  him  to  pour  into  them  his  quick- 
ening Spirit.  Let  their  consecration  of  themselves  be 
entire  and  unreserved.  First  let  them  put  away  sin  and 
unbelief,  and  ask  the  Lord  to  cleanse  them  thoroughly 
for  his  work.  We  have  got  to  be  emptied  before  we  are 
j&lled.  Selfishness,  and  evil  thoughts,  and  grudges,  and 
the  devil  of  unbelief,  must  be  cast  out  before  the  Master 
will  "make  his  abode  "  in  our  hearts.  When  a  Chris- 
tian has  received  the  inporing  of  Jesus  into  his  or  her 
soul,  then  is  he  or  she  prepared  to  go  and  labor  for  the 
conversion  of  the  impenitent. 

This  labor  must  be  personal  and  directed  to  individual 
cases.  When  Philip  has  received  Jesus  he  goes  off  at 
once  to  find  his  friend  Nathaniel  and  brings  him  to  the 
Saviour.  The  Acts  cf  the  Apostles  is  mainly  a  record 
of  individual  labor,  for,  and  with  individual  sinners. 
Paul  did  not  think  it  beneath  him  to  work  upon  one 
poor  cripple  at  Lystra.  Jesus  himself  gave  a  whole 
evening  to  one  anxious  inquirer,  and  a  whole  noonday 
to  a  single  sinful  woman  at  Sychar.  These  Scriptural 
lessons  all  teach  the  power  of  personal  effort. 

The  danger  in  our  churches  is  that  individual  respon- 
sibility will  be  lost  sight  of  and  each  Christian  will 
neglect  his  own  duty  while  waiting  for  others  to  move. 
Instead  of  this  let  the  ones  who  have  consecrated  them- 
selves to  Jesus  begin  at  once  to  labor  upon  the  cases  that 
lie  nearest  to  their  hands.  Thus  the  fire  spreads.  The 
few  who  are  red-hot  kindle  others. 

It  is  a  humiliatinor  fact  that  a  church  of  blood-bouorht 
disciples  should  need  a  "  revival."     But  there  is  only 


152  KINDLING  THE  FIEE. 

one  remedy,  and  that  is  the  new  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Those  who  first  feel  the  desire  for  this  spiritual 
power  from  on  high  mast  betake  themselves  to  peniten- 
tial prayer  and  then  to  work.  A  half  dozen  such  live 
coals  are  likely  to  kindle  a  whole  church.  Instead  of 
waiting  for  a  Moody  or  a  Sankey  to  come,  why  will  not  the 
reader  of  this  article  implore  the  Divine  Spirit  to  light 
his  torch,  and  then  let  him  carry  his  fire  to  his  neighbor. 


"Go  preach  my  Gospel,"  saith  the  Lord, 
"Bid  the  whole  earth  my  grace  receive ; 

He  shall  be  sav'd  that  trusts  my  word 
And  he  condemn'd  that  won't  believe." 

"I'll  make  yom'  great  commission  known; 

And  ye  shall  prove  my  gospel  true, 
By  all  the  works  that  I  have  done, 

By  all  the  wonders  ye  shall  do," 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 
WHAT    SHALL   I   DO    TO    BE   SAVED? 

INQDTBEKS  DIRECTED. — COMPILER. 

By  Rev.  T.  L.  Cutler. 

"  Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do  /  "  This  was 
the  eager  question  of  a  large  company  of  people  at  Je- 
rusalem who  were  "  pricked  to  the  heart."  Their  con- 
sciences were  aroused  under  plain  preaching  to  them  as 
sinners  who  had  "crucified  and  slain"  the  Messiah. 
They/eZf  keenly.  But  the  Apostle  Peter  did  not  stop  to 
commend  them  for  feeling  so  tenderly,  or  to  exhort  them 
to  deepen  their  emotions.  He  endeavored  to  lift  the 
whole  matter  of  their  salvation  out  of  the  vapory  region 
of  emotion,  and  to  base  it  on  the  solid  ground  of  priu' 
ciple. 

It  is  a  sad  mischief  to  thousands  in  our  couOTeo^ations 
that  they  feel  so  much  and  do  so  little.  They  melt  un- 
der eloquent  preaching,  perhaps  shed  tears.  (So  they 
do  over  a  pathetic  novel.)  Their  consciences. are  touched. 
They  make  good  resolutions,  and  then  go  home,  and 
straightway  forget  what  manner  of  persons  they  have 
been.  This  is  a  most  dangerous  and  damaging  process. 
My  friend,  don't  you  know  that  to  weep  over  sin,  and 


154      WHAT  SHALL  I  DO  TO  BE  SAVED  ? 

then  not  to  quit  the  sin — to  have  a  good  feeling,  and  not 
to  carry  it  out  into  practice — does  you  a  most  serious 
harm  ?  It  is  a  wrong  upon  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  a  most  ter- 
rible wrong  to  yourself.  It  hardens  your  heart  most 
fearfully.  The  most  difficult  person  in  our  congregations 
to  deal  with  are  those  emotional  people  who  have  wept 
and  resolved  an  hundred  times,  and  yet  have  never  lifted 
a  finger  to  obey  Christ.  ,  I  am  afraid  that  their  tears  in 
this  world  are  but  a  prelude  to  bitterer  tears  in  perdi- 
tion. Hell  is  full  of  weepers.  Even  Satan  himself  may 
be  wrung  with  intense  and  inconceivable  anguish.  It  is 
well  to  feel ;  but  it  is  not  enough  to  feel.  An  ounce  of 
faith  is  worth  a  ton  of  feeling. 

But  what  answer  does  Peter  make  to  his  awakened 
and  anxious  auditors?  Does  he  tell  them  that  they 
have  no  natural  ability  to  do  their  duty  ?  Does  he  ad- 
dress them  as  "  poor  sinners,"  more  to  be  pitied  than  to 
be  blamed  ?  Does  he  offer  to  pray  for  them,  and  thus 
lead  them  to  cling  to  his  skirts,  instead  of  clinging  to 
the  Saviour  ?  Does  he  urge  them  to  take  to  good  read- 
ing, or  even  to  come  often  to  hear  him  preach  the  Gos- 
pel \  No,  indeed  !  All  such  inventions  and  devices  he 
leaves  to  modern  pretenders  and  false  guides  in  divinity. 
His  auditors  demanded  to  know  what  they  should  do ; 
and  he  gives  them  at  once  a  piece  of  worh — of  thorough 
work  for  the  heart  and  the  daily  life.  He  knew  that 
sinners  must  "  work  out  their  own  salvation,"  even  while 
God  was  "  working  in  them  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good 
pleasure." 

Peter's  answer  to  their  question  begins  with  one  short 
word,  that  flashes  like  a  saber,  and  cuts  like  a  saber  too  : 
"Repent!"     "Oh!    but,"    they  might   say,  "we  are 


WHAT   SHALL  I   DO  TO  BE  SAVED?  155 

penitent ;  we  feel  sorely;  we  are  pierced  to  the  heart." 
Very  true.  But  feeling  keenly  is  not  always  repent- 
ance. For,  if  so,  then  every  inebriate  would  be  repen- 
tant ;  no  men  suffer  keener  self-loathing  and  misery 
than  does  a  drunkard  while  he  is  sober.  Repentance  is 
an  infiDitely  deeper  thing  than  sorrow,  or  suffering,  or 
dread  of  a  wrath  to  come.  It  is  the  taking  a  right  view 
of  sin  as  sinful,  and  then  quitting  it.  I  look  at  a  glass 
of  exhilarating  drink  which  I  hold  in  my  hand,  and  say 
to  myself:  "  That  is  a  poison.  It  has  an  adder  in  it ;  it 
is  death  I "  and  then  I  dr(yp  it  in  a  moment.  That  is  a 
genuine  repentance  of  the  sin  of  tippling  ;  and  it  is  the 
only,  kind  of  repentance  that  can  save  an  inebriate. 
God's  grace  may  be  operating  upon  the  inebriate ;  but 
still  he  must  renounce  the  fatal  cup  of  his  own  accord 
and  for  himself. 

The  fact  that  God's  Spirit  awakens  repentance  and 
promotes  repentance  in  a  sinner's  heart  does  not  alter 
one  whit  that  other  fact  that  repentance  must  be  your 
own  act.  You  must  forsake  your  sins  voluntarily. 
There  is  no  merit  in  a  criminal's  giving  up  the  practice 
of  plundering  when  he  has  no  longer  the  power  to  plun- 
der. If  you  only  give  up  wrong- doing  reluctantly,  and 
then  hanker  after  your  sinful  practices  again,  that  is  not 
repentance.  Evangelical  repentance  implies  change  of 
mind,  change  of  purpose,  change  of  conduct.  We  re- 
peat once  more  that  it  is  a  taking  of  a  right  view  of  all 
sin  as  utterly  wicked^  and  then  quitting  it.  ^  My  friend, 
have  you  done  this  ]  Then  you  have  put  your  foot  on 
the  first  round  of  the  ladder  that  leads  upward  and 
heavenward* 

2d.     Another  vital  point  is  unconditional  submission 


156  WHAT  SHALL  I   DO  TO  BE  SAVED  ? 

to  God.  When  a  certain  commander  of  a  conquered 
fort  inquired  of  his  conqueror  on  what  terms  the  fortress 
should  be  given  up,  the  memorable  reply  was  :  "  Uncon- 
ditional surrender."  If.  you  are  a  sinner,  then  your 
heart  is  a  rebel  fortress.  It  must  be  yielded  to  the  Lord ; 
yielded  entirely  and  yielded  without  any  conditions  on 
your  side.  Do  not  stop  to  bargain  with  God.  Put  in 
no  selfish  demands.  Saul  of  Tarsus  yielded  up  every 
point  when  he  cried  out  from  the  ground  :  "  Lord,  what 
wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  1  An  intelligent  woman,  who 
had  been  in  deep  distress  for  many  weeks,  finally  said : 
"  Peace  with  God,  I  know  nothing  about ;  but  /  have 
done  quarreliw^  with  him.  I  am  justly  condemned. 
I  have  resolved  to  submit  to  God,  and  serve  him,  and  do 
all  the  good  I  can  as  long  as  I  live  ;  and  then  go  to  Hell^ 
as  I  deserve."  Her  pastor  quietly  replied  :  "  You  will 
find  it  hard  work  to  get  to  Hell  in  that  way."  He  said 
no  more.  The  frank  honest-hearted  woman  soon  found 
that  her  calm,  willing  submission  to  God — her  willing- 
ness that  Qod  should  reign^  while  she  patiently  did  her 
duty  was  bringing  her  abiding  peace  and  strength.  She 
became  a  strong,  consistent  christian.  Her  will  yielded 
to  God's  will.  To  know  the  will  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and 
to  do  it  in  his  strength,  is  the  very  core  of  true  religion. 

Especially  I  entreat  you  not  to  demand  of  God  the 
ready  pay  of  "  comfort  "  and  "joy."  Don't  stop  to  think 
about  happiness.  A  wounded  soldier  must  not  expect 
any  comfort  until  the  bullet  has  been  extracted.  When 
the  festering  rifle-ball  is  out  he  will  feel  better  and  get 
well.  So,  when  the  festering  sin  comes  out  of  your 
heart,  and  all  the  wicked  enmity  to  God,  you  will  find 
true  comfort ;  but  not  before.    Do  not  be  selfishly  greedy 


WHAT  SHALL  I  DO  TO  BE   SAVED?  157 

of  enjoyment.  Paul  was  perfectly  content  to  suffer  hun- 
ger, and  weariness,  and  prisons,  and  death  for  Jesus' 
sake.  He  was  not  everlastingly  begging  to  be  "  happy, 
happy,  happy,"  like  certain  w^atery  professors  nowadays. 
To  do  Christ's  will  and  to  save  souls  was  his  joy  and 
crown.  If  Paul  were  living  to-day,  I  venture  to  say  that 
he  would  love  those  sweet  lines  of  Anna  L.  Waring : 

**  Lord  !  I  would  have  my  spirit  filled 
With  grateful  love  to  Thee, 
More  careful  not  to  serve  Thee  much, 
But  to  please  Theex>erfectlyy 

**  There  are  briers  besetting  every  path, 

That  call  for  patient  care  ; 
There  is  a  cross  in  every  lot, 

And  an  hourly  need  of  prayer  ; 
And  a  lowly  heart  that  leans  on  Thee 

Is  happy  anywhere,'''' 

3d.  Peter  did  not  stop  with  preaching  repentance  of 
sin.  He  pointed  to  ChIiist,  and  enjoined  immediate 
confession  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  To  quit  sin  and  to  follow 
the  Divine  Saviour  w^as  the  sum  and  substance  of  the 
duty  which  Peter  laid  upon  those  anxious  inquirers. 
This,  too,  is  your  duty.  Begin  at  once  to  do  the  first 
thing  which  Christ  bids  you.  At  whatever  point  Christ 
is  pressing  you,  yield  !  Obey !  When  you  yield  even 
one  single  point  to  please  Christ  the  change  is  begun. 
When  you  yield  one  point  from  principle,  you  will  be 
ready  to  yield  all.  To  be  willing  to  trust  on  Christ  and 
to  go  with  Christ  is  to  be  a  converted  man  or  woman. 
When  you  consent  to  obey  Christ,  and  to  do  this  at  all 
hazards,  and  cost  what  it  will,  you  are  a  Christian.  As 
14 


158      WHAT  SHALL  I  DO  TO  BE  SAVED? 

to  raptures  and  ecstacies,  it  will  be  time  enough  to  look 
for  them  when  you  get  into  heaven. 

In  these  plain,  practical  counsels  I  have  said  nothing 
about  prayer.  For,  if  you  are  trying  to  do  what  the 
Word  of  God  and  the  Holy  Spirit  command  you,  it  must 
inevitably  lead  you  lo  pray  fervently.  And,  unless  you 
actually  do  what  the  Lord  requires  of  you,  all  the  prayer 
in  the  universe  cannot  save  your  soul. 

Come,  humble  sinner,  in  whose  breast 

A  thousand  thoughts  revolve ; 
Come,  with  your  guilt  and  fear  oppress'd^ 

And  make  this  last  resolve : — 

"  I'll  go  to  Jesus,  though  my  sin 

"  Hath  like  a  mountain  rose ; 
"I  know  his  courts,  I'll  enter  in, 

"  Whatever  may  oppose. 

"  Prostrate  I'll  lie  before  his  throne, 

"  And  there  my  guilt  confess  ; 
"I'll  tell  him  I'm  a  wretch  undone, 

"  Without  his  sov'reign  grace. 

"  I'll  to  the  gracious  King  approach, 

*'  Whose  sceptre  pardon  gives ; 
"  Perhaps  he  may  command  my  touch— 

"  And  then  the  supplient  lives. 

"Perhaps  he  will  admit  my  plea, 

*'  Perhaps  will  hear  my  prayer ; 
"But  if  I  perish,  I  will  pray, 

"  And  perish  only  there. 

"  I  can  but  perish  if  I  go, 

"  I  am  resolv'd  to  tiy ; 
"  For  if  I  stay  away,  1  know 

"  I  must  forever  die." 


CHAPTER  XXVIL  ; 

COMPLETE    CONSECRATION. 
By  Theodore  L.  Cutler,  D.  D. 

Complete  consecration !  The  very  mention  of  these 
words  makes  the  heart  of  some  of  our  readers  leap  up 
within  them.  It  is  for  that  blessing  they  are  now  long- 
ing ;  toward  that  goal  of  spiritual  attainment  they  are 
pressing  and  struggling.  And  for  all  such  earnest  souls 
let  us  breathe  anew  that  wonderful  prayer  of  the  Apostle 
Paul  for  his  Thessalonian  brethren :  "  May  the  very 
God  of  peace  sanctify  you  luholly ;  and  I  pray  God  your 
whole  spirit  and  soul  and  body  be  kept  blameless  unto 
the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

This  comprehensive  prayer  is  worthy  our  most  devout 
study.  It  bears  more  closely  upon  the  great  vital  ques- 
tion  before  us  than  almost  any  passage  in  God's  precious 
Word.  It  is  a  petition  for  complete  consecration.  The 
word  translated  "  sanctify  "  in  our  version  often  has  the 
meaning.of  consecrate,  or  set  apart  to  a  holy  use.  In  the 
twenty-third  chapter  of  Matthew  we  read  that  "  the 
temple  consecrates  (i.  e.j  makes  sacred)  the  gold."  Paul 
speaks  of  a  "  vessel  consecrated  and  meet  for  the  Mas- 
ter's use."    In  his  beautiful  and  extended  prayer  for  his 


160  COMPLETE  CONSECEATION. 

disciples  our  Lord  might  have  used  this  same  Greek 
word  in  this  very  sense.  If  so,  he  prayed  as  follows : 
**  Consecrate  them  for  thy  truth."  And  then  he  adds  : 
"  For  their  sakes  I  consecrate  my  self,  that  they  also  may 
be  consecrated  through  [or  for]  the  truth."  He  might 
thus  mean  to  declare  :  I  devote  myself  body  and  soul  to 
my  great  atoning  work,  now  to  be  consummated  by  my 
sacrificial  death;  and  then  he  prays  for  their  consecration 
by  the  truth  and  for  the  preaching  of  the  truth.  Such 
eminent  scholars  as  Moses  Stuart  and  Dr.  Edward  Rob- 
inson hold  that  this  is  the  proper  interpretation  of  this 
word  in  our  Lord's  wonderful  prayer  on  the  eve  of  his 
sufferings. 

Suppose  we  give  the  same  meaning  to  the  same  word 
in  Paul's  prayer  now  before  us.  It  would  then  read  : 
"  May  the  very  God  of  peace  consecrate  you  wholly.'^ 
That  is,  ma}^  God  set  you  apart  to  do  his  will.  May  God 
purify  you  for  his  service.  May  God  employ  you  in  his 
glorious  work.  May  he  endow  you  with  his  Holy  Spirit. 
What  a  prayer  that  is.  It  sweeps  in  the  entire  man, 
physical  and  mental,  the  mortal  part  and  the  immortal, 
the  portion  of  us  that  has  to  do  with  present  material 
things  and  that  higher  part  of  us  that  has  to  do  with 
things  spiritual  and  eternal. 

Paul  goes  still  further,  and  "  prays  God  that  the  whole 
spirit  and  soul  and  body  be  preserved  without  blame 
unto  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  About  the 
meaning  of  this  passage  there  has  always  been  contro- 
versy. Two  views  are  held  ;  and  for  each  of  them  wise 
and  devout  men  have  contended.  We  will  state  them 
both  very  briefly. 

1st.     The  first  view  is  that  the  apostle  intended  to 


COMPLETE  CONSECRATION.  161 

teach  a  three-fold  nature,  a  "  tripartite  "  nature  in  man. 
these  three  powers  are  body,  soul,  and  spirit.  Each  one 
links  us  to  a  particular  state  of  being.  The  "  body  "  is 
our  gross  material  part,  with  its  physicial  senses,  suffer- 
ings, and  enjoyments.  The  "soul,"  according  to  this 
theory,  is  the  thinkrng  and  reasoning  faculty  in  man. 
It  reasons.  It  chooses.  It  loves  the  right  or  hates  the 
wrong.  It  has  to  do  with  the  rest  of  humanity  and  the 
domain  of  thought.  It  is  as  much  above  the  body  as 
mind  is  above  matter  ;  but  it  does  not  reach  into  the 
sublime  regions  of  the  divine  and  eternal.  That  prov. 
ince  belongs  to  the  third  and  highest  power  of  man — 
viz.,  his  "  spirit."  The  "  spirit  "  is  that  immortal  part 
which  is  untouched  by  death,  which  "  pants  after  "  God, 
which  communes  with  him,  and  which  shall  be  like  unto 
Jesus  when  the  believer  meets  him  in  glory.  If  this 
view  be  the  correct  one,  then  Paul  prayed  for  a  three ^ 
fold  consecration  or  sanctification  of  his  triple  nature  by 
the  Divine  Spirit.  We  simply  state  this  theory,  and 
leave  it  to  stand  upon  its  own  merits. 

2d.  The  other  view  and  the  popular  view  is  that 
man  has  but  a  double  nature.  He  is  composed  of  a 
material  body,  with  its  senses  and  appetites ;  and  of  a 
living,  reasoning,  immaterial  "  soul  "  or  "  spirit."  These 
two  last-mentioned  words  mean  substantially  the  same 
thing.  According  to  this  view,  there  is  a  mortal  body. 
And  there  is  a  soul  or  spirit  which  survives  the  body, 
which  loves  and  hates,  which  sins  and  is  converted, 
which  is  "saved"  or  "  lost."  "The  soul  that  sinneth 
shall  die."  "Give  me  thy  heart."  Hope  is  said  to  be 
the  "  anchor  of  the  soul."     "  The  end  of  our  faith  is  the 

salvation  of  our  souls."      In  all   these   passages  it  is 
14* 


162  COMPLETE  CONSECRATION. 

claimed  that  the  words  ''heart"  and  "soul"  describe 
the  immortal  and  spiritual  part  of  us.  It  is  also  claimed 
that  we  are  only  conscious  of  a  body  and  a  soul,  and  are 
not  conscious  of  any  third  "  spirit,"  as  separate  from  the 
soul. 

This  has  been  and  is  the  common  view  of  the  great 
majority  of  Christian  people  in  past  ages  and  at  the 
present  time.  Dr.  Hodge,  in  his  profound  and  candid 
work  on  "  Systematic  Theology,"  stands  strongly  for  this 
view.  He  claims  that  when  Paul  speaks  of  "  spirit  and 
soul  and  body  "  he  simply  uses  a  periphrasis  to  describe 
the  whole  man.  In  the  same  way  Dr.  Hodge  interprets 
that  command,  "  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with 
all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy 
strength,  and  with  all  thy  mind."  It  was  not  intended 
to  enumerate  four  distinct  parts  or  substances  in  the  hu- 
man being.  It  was  not  intended  to  prove  a  four-fold 
nature.  In  all  our  prayers  Dr.  Hodge  claims  that  we 
recognize  only  a  frail  mortal  body  and  an  immortal, 
thinking  "soul"  or  "heart"  or  "spirit,"  whichever 
word  we  may  see  fit  to  employ. 

Now,  we  do  not  contend  here  for  either  one  of  these 
views  as  against  the  other.  That  is  not  our  purpose  in 
this  article.  Our  readers  must  decide  for  themselves. 
But  we  do  claim  that,  whether  our  natures  be  double  or 
"tripartite,"  this  glorious  prayer  of  Paul's  covers  both 
views  and  embraces  the  whole  man.  Paul  certainly 
prayed  for  a  complete  consecration.  And  for  that  we 
ought  to  pray.  Nor  can  any  Christian  attain  to  the  full 
measure  of  peace  and  strength  and  joy  and  victory  over 
sin  until  this  becomes  the  master  purpose  and  desire  of 
his  soul.      He  can  never  reach  the  highest  usefulness 


COMPLETE  CONSECRATION.  163 

until  he  has  this  entire  consecration.     Heart,  tongue, 
purse,  and  will  must  all  be  Christ's. 

But  who  is  to  do  it?  Are  we  to  consecrate  ourselves, 
purify  ourselves,  and  make  ourselves  holy  ?  Did  Paul 
command  his  brethren  to  undertake  a  self  sanctification  ? 
No.  He  was  wiser  than  that.  He  called  upon  God  to 
consecrate  them.  He  looked  up  the  fountain-head  of  ^ 
all  grace  and  light  and  power,  and  asked  for  them  "  the 
power  from  on  high."  Ah  !  how  often  some  of  us  have 
cried  out  with  presumptuous  zeal :  "  I  will  consecrate 
myself  to  the  Lord."  And  presently  there  came  a  strain 
on  us  too  hard  for  our  poor  weakness,  and  w^e  had  to  cry 
out :  "  Hold  thou  us  up,  O  God  !  for  our  feet  had  well 
nigh  slipped.''  Peter  imagined  that  he  had  devoted  him- 
self entirely  and  unalterably  to  his  Master  when  he  spoke 
out  so  boldly  :  "  Though  all  men  forsake  thee,  yet  will 
not  I."  The  poor,  crestfallen  disciple  soon  discovered 
that  only  the  Divine. Strength  could  hold  him  fast  to  his 
loyalty.     And  so  will  we  disc  )ver,  to  our  sorrow. 

But  the  God  of  peace  can  consecrate  us,  if  we  ask 
him  fervently  and  it  we  put  our  whole  trust  in  him. 
We  must  pray  for  this  glorious  and  fruitful  and  joy. in- 
spiring consecration  by  our  conduct  as  well  as  with  our 
lips.  When  we  thus  seek  it,  it  will  come  !  Those  who 
thus  seek  it  will  possess  this  Christ  given  boon.  The 
infinite  Jesus  will  keep  us  until  his  triumphant  coming. 
Then  we  shall  like  him  and  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is. 
Oh !  for  this  complete  consecration ! 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE    SUCCESSFUL    PASTOR. 
By  Ret.  Theodore  L.  Cutler. 

"  The  sermon  always  sounds  better  to  me  on  Sunday, 
when  I  have  had  a  shake  of  my  minister's  hand  during 
the  week." 

This  was  a  very  natural  remark  of  a  very  sensible 
parishioner.  We  always  listen  with  a  more  open- 
hearted  readiness  to  everything  which  falls  from  the  lips 
of  one  who  has  won  our  friendship,  or  showed  us  a  grate- 
ful attention.  Even  the  instructions  from  God's  word, 
and  the  precious  invitations  of  the  Gospel  come  more 
acceptably  from  one  we  Ibve  than  from  him  who  treats 
us  with  indifference  or  neglect. 

After  all,  the  great  power  of  a  good  pastor  over  his 
people  is  heart  potuer.  Intellectual  brilliancy  may 
awaken  the  pride  of  a  congregation  in  their  minister, 
but  it  is  his  affectionate  sympathy  and  personal  kind- 
ness to  them  that  awakens  their  love  for  him,  and  keeps 
it  burning.  When  a  pastor  has  gained  a  strong  hold  on 
the  affections  of  his  people,  he  may  preach  ever  so 
pointedly  against  popular  sins,  and  the  people  will  re- 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  PASTOE.  165 

ceive  his  unpalatable  truths  without  flinching,  or  hurl- 
ing a  reproach  at  him. 

On  the  other  hand,  we  have  known  fearless  denounc- 
el's  of  wrong. doing  to  be  ousted  from  their  pulpits, 
simply  because  the  radical  thunderers  had  no  grip  on 
the  affections"  of  their  flocks.  The  sermon  against  rum- 
drinking  or  dishonesty  was  a  mere  pretext  for  black- 
balling him  :  the  secret  was  that  they  did  not  love  the 
man. 

Conscience  sometimes  requires  a  faithful  ambassador 
of  Christ  to  put  a  severe  strain  on  the  "tether"  that 
binds  him  to  his  pastorate  ;  at  such  times  it  is  a  happy 
thing  for  him,  if  that  tether  is  securely  fastened  to  a 
hundred  family  altars  and  firesides.  The  great  mass  of 
the  ministry  are  not  men  of  genius  ;  and,  even  if  they 
were,  they  could  not  afford  to  di.-pense  with  that  heart- 
power  which  can  only  be  acquired  by  personal  kindness 
and  sympathy  with  the  people. 

We  could  certainly  name  a  certain  successful  pastor 
who,  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  has  kept  his  church  full 
and  prosperous  ;  he  has  sided  with  most  of  the  moral 
reforms  of  the  day,  and  his  vineyard  has  been  irrigated 
with  many  a  copious  revival -shower.  Yet  he  never 
could  be  accused  of  brilliant  talents  or  profound  learn- 
ing. He  has,  in  their  stead,  a  warm  heart,  good  sense, 
tact,  winning  manners,  and  fervent  piety.  He  is  not  a 
powerful  preacher,  but  he  is  a  powerful  pastor.  He 
knows  where  all  his  congregation  live,  and  he  visits 
them.  He  never  com.es  as  a  stranger,  or  in  a  cere- 
monious manner.  If  the  parlor  is  cold,  or  locked  up 
for  repairs  he  drops  into  the  nursery,  takes  a  youngster 
on  his  lap,  chats  with  the  mother,  inquires  about  the 


166  THE  SUCCESSFUL  PASTOR. 

spiritual  welfare  of  the  family,  and  probably  offers  a 
fervent  prayer  with  them  before  he  departs.  That  fam- 
ily are  pretty  certain  to  be  at  church  on  the  next  Sunday. 

If  a  business  man  in  his  concjreoation  has  met  with  a 
reverse,  he  calls  in  at  his  counting-room,  gives  him  a 
warm  shake  of  the  hand  and  a  kind  word  of  encourage- 
ment. The  unfortunate  merchant  feels  the  warm  pres- 
sure of  that  hand  the  next  time  he  goes  to  church  ;  he 
is  ready  to  put  in  that  hand  the  key  to  his  own  heart. 
If  there  is  a  sick  child  in  the  flock,  the  pastor  is  kneel- 
ing beside  its  little  crib ;  if  there  is  a  bit  of  crape 
hanging  at  the  door-knob,  the  pastor  is  quite  sure  to  be 
found  amid  the  weeping  family  within. 

At  every  pastoral  visit  he  makes  he  weaves  a  new 
strand  into  the  cord  of  love  that  binds  that  household  to 
him  and  to  the  sanctuary.  Such  a  pastor  bases  the  pul- 
pit on  the  hearts  of  his  people,  and  all  the  mischief- 
making  Guy  Fawkes  in  the  parish  cannot  put  enough 
powder-kegs  of  discontent  under  that  pulpit  to  blow  out 
the  incumbent. 

It  may  be  said  that  all  this  pastoral  visitation  con- 
sumes a  vast  amount  of  time.  So  it  does,  but  it  can 
generally  be  made  in  the  afternoon,  while  the  morning 
is  devoted  to  study  ;  and  the  minister  is  studying  human 
nature  at  every  visit.  Is  not  this  next  in  importance  to 
a  knowledge  of  God's  word  ?  It  is  idle  for  any  pastor 
to  plead  that  his  flock  is  too  large  for  him  to  visit  them. 
The  writer  of  this  paragraph  has  over  three  hundred 
pews  in  his  church,  every  one  of  them  rented,  to  the  last 
sitting,  and  he  finds  no  difliculty  in  reaching  every  fam- 
ily,  at  least  once  in  each  year. 

The  very  exercise  of  walking  from  house  to  house  is  a 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  PASTOR.  167 

life-preserver.  Every  visit  gives  an  observant  pastor 
some  information  that  he  wants,  and  some  new  materials 
for  a  sermon.  It  would  be  a  great  mercy  to  many  a 
minister,  aod  to  his  people,  if  he  could  be  dragged  out 
of  his  books,  and  be  brought  into  personal  contact  with 
e very-day  life. 

There  is  about  one  minister  in  every  generation  who 
is  so  situated  that  he  cannot  be  a  visitant  of  his  flock, 
Charles  H.  Spur^eon  is  such  a  one.  With  a  cono-reo-a- 
tion  of  five  thousand  souls,  and  a  membership  of  over 
three  thousand,  with  the  charge  of  a  theological  school, 
the  editorship  of  a  religious  magazine,  and  the  oversicrht 
^f  a  dozen  mission  stations,  he  cannot  be  expected  to 
visit  six  or  seven  hundred  families.  Spurgeon  is  the  hun- 
dred.handed  Briareus  of  the  modern  pulpit ;  but  the 
visitation  of  his  immense  flock  he  necessarily  leaves  to 
his  board  of  elders.  When  he  does  encounter  his  parish- 
ioners, he  is  said  to  be  very  cordial  and  alfable. 

Many  arguments  might  be  urged  in  favor  of  regular 
and  systematic  visitation  on  the  part  of  every  Christian 
minister.  For  what*  is  the  real  object  and  end  of  a  min- 
isters office  ?  Is  it  simply  to  preach  sermons  ?  No ! 
It  is  to  Christianize  and  save  immortal  souls.  It  is  to 
edify  Christ's  church,  to  purify  society,  to  fight  sin,  to 
lead  souls  to  Jesus.  Preaching  sermons  is  one  of  the 
means  to  this  end.  It  is,  indeed  a  chief  and  indispen- 
sable  agency.  But  if  a  pastor  can  prepare  more  practi- 
cal sermons,  and  can  lodge  those  sermous  more  effectually 
in  the  hearts  of  his  auditors,  by  constant  pastoral  inter- 
course with  them,  then  is  he  morally  bound  to  keep  up 
that  intercourse. 

The  mass  of  sinful  men  are  only  to  be  reached  through 


168  THE  SUCCESSFUL  PASTOE. 

their  affections.  Sympathy  is  power.  Christ  Jesus  did 
not  win  Zacheus  the  publican  by  argument.  He  simply 
went  to  his  home  and  won  him  by  a  divine  sympathy. 
Methinks,  as  I  close  this  article,  I  hear  some  good, 
plain,  humble  "  fisher  of  souls,"  whisper  tome  :  "Brother 
C I  thank  you  for  your  words  of  cheer.  My  Mas- 
ter never  trusted  me  with  ten  talents,  but  he  gave  me 
one  talent  in  my  heart.  I  cannot  be  a  Spurgeon,  but  I 
can  go  out  and  love  somebody  into  the  sphere  of  the 
gospel.  With  God's  help  I  may  become  a  successful 
pastor." 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

EXPOSITORY    PREACHING. 
By  Rev.  Wm.  M.  Taylor,  D.  D.,  New  York. 

By  expository  preaching  I  mean  that  methed  of  pulpit 
discourse  which  consists  in  the  consecutive  explanation 
and  practical  enforcement  of  an  epistle,  or  a  gospel,  or  a 
sacred  narrative.  It  is  distinguished  from  topical 
preaching,  which  consists  in  the  selection  of  a  clause,  or 
a  verse,  or  a  section  of  the  inspired  word,  out  of  which 
some  one  principle  is  evolved,  and  kept  continuously  be- 
fore the  hearer's  mind,  as  the  speaker  traces  its  manifold 
applications  to  present  circumstances,  and  to  human 
life.  The  two  are  not  inconsistent  with  each  other,  or 
contradictory  to  each  other.  An  efficient  minister  will 
systematically  employ  both.  While,  therefore,  I  proceed 
to  say  a  few  words  in  favor  of  the  expositorial  method, 
let  no  one  suppose  that  I  undervalue  the  other.  In  my 
own  view,  as  in  my  own  practice,  they  are  coordinate, 
and  we  may  apply  to  both  of  them  the  principle  that 
underlies  the  Saviour's  words  :  "  This  ought  ye  to  have 
done,  and  not  to  have  left  the  other  undone." 

Briefly,  then,  let  me  advert  to  the  advantages  of  the 

systematic   exposition  of  the  word  of  God,  and  among 
15 


170  EXPOSITOBY  PREACHING. 

these  I  place  first  the  fact  that  it  brings  both  preacher 
and  hearer  into  a  close  contact  with  the  mind  of  the 
SpioHt.  The  open  Bible  on  the  sacred  desk  is  a  witness 
to  the  fact  that  both  speaker  and  auditors  regard  it  as 
the  ultimate  standard  of  appeal.  In  the  pulpit  the 
minister  is  not,  in  ordinary  circumstances,  dealing  with 
those  who  repudiate  the  authority  of  the  word  of  God, 
The  very  presence  of  his  hearers  in  the  sanctuary  may 
be  taken  as  an  admission  on  their  part  that,  like  Corne- 
lius before  Peter,  "  they  are  all  together  before  him  to 
hear  what  is  commanded  them  oi  God."  There  may  be 
exceptional  occasions  on  which  he  feels  bound  to  deal 
with  sceptical  objectors,  but,  as  a  general  rule,  the  pul- 
pit is  not  the  place  for  that.  As  a  brother  said  to  us 
once,  with  great  point :  "  When  I  am  in  the  pulpit,  I 
am  not  there  to  defend  the  Bible  ;  the  Bible  is  there  to 
defend  me."  The  great  aim  of  the  preacher,  therefore, 
ought  to  be  to  set  before  the  people  the  mind  of  God» 
Now,  in  so  far  as  he  is  successful  as  an  expositor,  this  is 
precisely  what  he  does. 

In  the  topical  sermon,  there  may  be  many  of  his  own 
particular  opinions  which  are  matters  of  private  inter- 
pretation or  of  "  doubtful  disputation."  But  when  he 
has  succeeded  in  making  plain  the  meaning  of  the  pas- 
sage which  he  is  expounding,  he  can  say  .*  "  This  is  the 
word  of  Christ,"  and  the  force  of  this  upon  his  own  heart 
and  the  hearts  of  his  hearers  will  be  overwhelming. 
When  he  so  speaks,  he  will  speak  "  with  authority,  and 
not  as  the  scribes,"  and  men  will  feel  that  they  have 
been  brought  face  to  face  with  God.  It  is  this,  indeed, 
that  gives  the  pulpit  its  peculiar  power.  Other  men 
have  genius,  and  can  produce  wondrous  effects  by  the 


EXPOSITORY  PREACHING.  171 

flashes*  of  its  erratic  lightning  or  the  beauty  of  its  poetic 
musings  ;  other  men  have  stores  of  information,  on  which 
they  can  draw  at  will,  and  with  which  they  can  enrich 
their  utterances  ;  other  men  have  force  of  logic,  or  power 
of  invective,  by  which  they  can  bear  down  all  opposition  ; 
but  these  are  not  the  differential  of  the  preacher.  His 
special  power  is  that  he  has  GocVs  luord  behind  him,  and 
if  throus^h  the  neo^lect  of  expounding  that  word  he  fails 
to  use  this  power  with  effect,  he  is  like  Sampson  shorn 
of  his  locks,  and  will  be  sure  to  be  made  sport  of  by  the 
Philistines  of  his  generation.  Hence,  as  an  engine  of 
power,  I  advocate  most  earnestly  the  systematic  pulpit 
exposition  of  the  sacred  Scriptures. 

Another  advantag;e  of  this  method  of  discourse  is  that 
it  secures  variety  in  the  ministrations  of  the  preacher. 
Every  man  has  his  own  idiosyncracies,  and  will  be  drawn 
more  powerfully  to  some  subjects  than  others.  Unless, 
therefore,  the  preacher  pursues  some  regular  course  of 
exposition,  he  will  be  in  danger  of  confining  }  imself  to  a 
few  favorite  themes,  and  ringing  the  changes  upon  them, 
until  his  hearers  are  well-nio;h  sick  both  of  him  and  of 
them.  But  if  he  will  follow  the  course  of  some  book,  or 
trace  out  consecutively  some  sacred  biography,  he  will 
find  the  same  old  truths  with  ever  fresh  surroundings, 
ani  will  secure  that  variety  in  unity  which  is  the  charm 
of  God's  book  of  revelation  as  much  as  of  his  book  of 
nature.  He  will  come  upon  principles,  in  situ  as  the 
practical  geologist  comes  upon  the  rocks  in  his  survey, 
and  thereby  much  that  is  of  novel  interest  will  be  sug- 
gested to  him.  The  topical  preacher  very  soon  wears 
himself  out,  because  all  through  he  is  drawing  mainly 
upon  himself.     But  the  expositor  has  the  word  of  God 


172  EXPOSITORY  PREACHING. 

before  him,  and  his  lifetime  will  not  exhaust  that.  As 
he  follows  the  discourses  of  Jesus,  the  infinite  variety  of 
these  utterances  will  keep  him  from  "running  into  ruts" 
of  thought  or  of  expression  or  of  topic,  and  he  will  be 
like  the  w^ell-instructed  scribe  of  whom  the  Master 
speaks,  "  bringing  out  of  his  treasure-house  things  new 
and  old." 

Again,  by  following  this  plan,  the  preacher  will  be 
compelled  to  treat  many  subjects  from  which  otherwise 
he  mioht  have  shrunk,  but  which  he  feels  must  be  dealt 
with  if  he  would  not  "  shun  to  declare  all  the  counsel 
of  God."  Every  pastor  knows  that  there  are  almost 
always  members  of  his  church  who  specially  need  to  be 
enlightened  on  some  points  of  duty  or  of  danger.  But 
if  he  were  to  select  a  subject  purely  for  them,  his  object 
would  be  defeated,  just  because  they  would  resent  that 
which  tliey  felt  to  be  a  preaching  at  them  rather  than 
to  them.  Now,  in  following  a  regular  course  of  exposi- 
tion, opportunities  are  continually  occurring  for  the 
presentation  of  timely  truths,  while  yet  no  one  can  say 
that  the  subject  was  chosen  with  the  special  view  of 
reaching  him.  Besides,  there  are  whole  classes  of  topics 
which  would  be  completely  ignore'!  if  we  were  to  yield 
only  to  our  own  testes  and  feelings  in  the  selection  of 
subjects.  Odo  man  would  dwell  exclusively  on  doctrinal 
matters  to  the  neglect  of  practical.  Another,  catching 
the  modern  infection  which  denounces  dogma,  would 
present  practical  subjects  witliout  thinking  or  saying 
much  about  the  cross.  One  would  deal  with  the  love  of 
God  as  if  there  were  no  other  text  in  the  Bible  than 
"God  is  love;"  another  would  present  the  govern- 
mental features  of  the  Divine  administration,  as  if  there 


SXPOSITORY   PREACHING.  173 

* 

were  do  fatherly  heart  in  Him  who  rules  the  world. 
And  thus,  in  spite  of  themselves,  a  defective  presenta- 
tion of  the  truth  would  be  the  result.  Half-truths  are 
ever  the  most  insidious  forms  of  error,  and  it  is  to  be 
feared  that  many  of  the  half-truths  which  are  so  poj^ular 
in  these  days,  have  had  their  origin  in  the  neglect  of  a 
thorough  and  systematic  treatment  of  the  Word  of  God 
as  a  vjliole.  Now  in  expository  preaching,  we,  as  it 
were,  go  round  the  whole  globe  of  truth,  and  have  our 
one-sided  prepossessions  and  opinions  corrected  by  its 
full  rounded  completeness. 

Again,  the  regular  prosecution  of  this  method  of 
preaching  will  tend  to  promote  the  Biblical  intelligence 
of  a  congregation.  Those  who  have  not  investigated  the 
matter  will  be  astonished  to  find  how  limited  an  acquain- 
tance the  average  church-goer  has  with  the  sacred  Scrip- 
tures. He  may  be  acute  in  business,  and  well  '"up" 
in  all  political  knowledge,  while  yet  he  has  never  read 
through  the  more  important  portions  of  the  Word  of 
God.  There  are  whole  books  of  the  Bible  which  to  many 
worshippers  in  our  pews  are  nearly  as  much  a  terra 
incognita  as  in  the  interior  of  the  continent  of  Africa. 
They  know  the  gospels  pretty  well,  but  they  do  not  care 
much  for  the  epistles ;  they  have  read  many  of  the 
psalms  again  and  aga.in,  but  they  have  no  acquaintance 
with  or  relish  for  the  historical  or  prophetical  books  of 
the  Old  Testament.  • 

I  lately  met  with  a   young  woman  to  whom  I  said 

something  of  Hagar,  and  the  name  which  she  gave  to 

Jehovah  when  she  said,  "  Thou  God  seest  me ;  "  when  to 

my  astonishment,  I  discovered  that  she  knew  nothing 

about  the  incident  to  which  I   had  referred.      When, 
15* 


174  EXPOSITOEY  PKEACHING. 

some  six  or  seven  years  ago,  Mr.  John  Bright,  with  that 
happy  knack  of  giving  appropriate  names  by  which  he 
is  distinguished,  spoke  of  Mr.  Robert  Lowe  and  his 
friends  as  having  gone  to  the  cave  of  Adullam  (from 
which  they  were  afterv/ards  called  the  party  of  the 
cave),  two  members  of  Parliament  were  overheard  con- 
versing thus,  as  they  were  leaving  the  house  :  , 

"  I  say,  where  did  Bright  get  that  illustration  of  his 
to-night,  about  the  cave?" 

"  0,"  was  the  reply,  "  I  see  what  you're  up  to  ;  you 
think  I  don't  know ;  but  do  you  suppose  I  haven't  read 
the  Arabian  Nights  ?  " 

And  yet  these  men  were  tolerably  fair  senators,  ac- 
cording as  senators  go.  I  am  persuaded  that  most  of  us 
in  the  pulpit  overrate  immensely  the  Biblical  knowl- 
edge of  our  hearers,  and  that  it  would  be  of  immense 
consequence  to  them  as  well  as  to  ourselves  that  we 
should  give  ourselves  to  consecutive  exposition  of  the 
Scriptures.  Even  if  the  Bible  were  no  more  than  a 
valuable  production,  its  earnest  study  by  pastor  and 
people  would  tend  to  develop  in  them  mental  vigor  and 
moral  robustness,  on  the  old  principle,  "  Beware  of 
the  man  of  one  book."  But  when  we  take  its  holy  char- 
acter and  divine  inspiration  into  the  account,  it  becomes 
infinitely  more  important  that  we  should  concentrate 
our  attention  more  thoroughly  upon  it.  Men  in  the  par« 
lor  and  in  the  closet  and  in  the  counting-room  are  over- 
laying the  Bible  beneath  the  mountain  of  new  books 
that  are  forever  coming  from  the  press ;  therefore  in  the 
pulpit  we  should  more  and  more  exalt  it  and  seek  to 
increase  at  once  the  acquaintance  of  our  hearers  with  it, 
and  their  reverence  for  it. 


EXPOSITORY  PEEACHING.  175 

Other  advantages  might  be  named,  such  as  that,  in  ^ 
the  process  of  preparing  his  expository  discourses,  the 
preacher  acquires  great  store  of  materials  which  he  can 
use  for  other  purposes,  and  in  particular  has  constantly 
suggested  to  him  subjects  for  topical  sermons,  so  tliat  he 
never  knows  what  it  is  to  lose  whole  days  in  himting  fur  a 
text.  But  I  pass  on  to  consider  the  great  objection  which 
is  constantly  made  against  this  mode  of  preaching.  "  It 
is  not  popular,"  so  it  is  .-aid.  "  The  people  do  not  like 
it,  and  they  will  not  stand  it."  Now  in  reply  to  tnis  I 
have  two  things  to  say.  First,  the  minister  has  to  con- 
sult for  the  beuefit  of  his  hearers,  as  well  as  for  their 
pleasure,  and  if  he  is  persuaded  in  his  own  mind  that 
they  need  such  instruction  as  expository  preaching  alone 
can  furnish,  then  he  should  give  himself  to  it  even  at 
the  risk  of  creating  some  little  dissatisfaction  at  first ; 
for  as  he  goes  on  they  will  become  more  deeply  inter- 
ested and  will  come  at  length  to  enjoy  it. 

But,  second,  why  is  this  sort  of  preaching  not  popular  1 
Is  it  not  because  those  who  have  attempted  it  have  done 
so  w^ithout  any  adequate  idea  of  its  importance,  and 
have  gone  on  with  it  in  the  most  slovenly  and  perfunc- 
tory fashion.  They  have  taken  to  it  because,  as  they 
imagined,  it  was  easier  for  themselves  than  the  writing 
of  sermons,  and  so  they  have  given  to  their  people  only 
a  paraphrase  of  the  passage,  weakly  diluted  by  the 
water  of  their  undigested  and  extempore  additions. 
They  have  had  recourse  to  it  with  "  feeling  akin  to  those 
of  him  who  said  that  he  liked  to  take  a  chapter  at  a 
time,  for  when  he  was  persecuted  in  one  verse  he  could 
flee  to  another."  Now  this  is  fatal.  Such  preaching 
does  not  deserve  to  be  popular,  and  it  is  a  proof  of  the 


176  EXPOSITORY  PREACHING. 

,  good  sense  of  our  congregations  that  is  not  popular.  Let 
no  man  who  wishes  to  succeed  in  expository  preaching 
imagine  tliat  he  can  do  so  without  great  labor.  The  oil 
must  be  well-heaten  or  the  light  will  not  shine.  No 
mere  cursory  perusal  of  the  passage,  no  mere  hasty  study 
of  it  even,  will  suffice.  He  needs  to  enter  into  the  spirit 
of  the  writer,  to  live  and  move  and  have  his  being  for 
the  time  in  the  argument  or  narrative  or  parable  which 
he  is  considering.  He  must  follow  the  old  canon  :  te  to- 
turn  ad  textum  applica,  ac  totum  textum  applica  ad  te. 
He  must  give  himself  wholly  to  the  investigation  of  the 
passage,  and  then  he  must  practically  apply  its  whole 
teaching  to  his  own  heart. 

Thus  he  will  discover  how  he  can  reach  the  hearts  of 
his  hearers,  and  when  he  speaks  to  them,  his  words  will 
have  in  them  that  "accent  of  conviction"  which  will 
make  all  who  hear  him  feel  that  he  is  in  earnest.  Let 
him  study  the  passage  in  the  original,  with  such  helps 
as  he  has  at  command.  Let  him  read  everything  on  the 
subject  which  his  library  contains  (and  to  this  end  let 
him  keep  beside  him  an  interleaved  Bible  in  which  he, 
as  it  were,  indexes  his  reading,  ma-rking  over  each  verse 
anything  bearing  on  it  which  he  has  met  with).  Then, 
having  finished  his  reading,  which  ought  if  possible  to 
be  accomplished  in  the  early  days  of  the  week,  let  him, 
so  to  say,  lay  the  whole  matter  to  steep  in  his  heart  and 
brain  for  a  time,  and  when  he  has  found  some  principle 
of  Older  which  he  can  employ,  or  some  thread  round 
which  his  thoughts  will  crystallize,  let  him  sit  down  and 
carefully  prepare  his  discourse,  as  carefully  as  he  would 
any  other,  and  he  has  mistaken  his  profession  if  he  be 
not  able  to  make  it  interesting. 


EXPOSITORY  PREACHING.  177 

One  tbiDg,  however,  he  must  guard  against.  He  must 
not  turn  the  pulpit  into  the  chair  of  the  exegetical  pro- 
fessor, and  spend  a  quarter  of  an  hour  in  hunting  down 
some  poor  Greek  particle  or  digging  up  some  obscure 
Hebrew  root.  These  processes  are  to  be  gone  through 
in  the  study,  and  the  people  should  receive  only  the  re- 
sults. They  do  not  want  to  know,  either,  what  this  or 
that  German,  English  or  American  commentator  has 
thought.  Let  liim  tell  them  what  he  has  concluded  for 
himself,  with  the  ground  on  which  he  has  adopted  his 
opinion,  and  then  let  him  pass  on  to  press  the  practical 
application  of  the  truth  in  the  passage  to  the  hearts  and 
consciences  and  lives  of  his  hearers. 

That  this  kind  of  preaching  will  be  both  profitable 
and  jjopular,  we  have  abundant  evidence,  both  from  the 
past  history  of  the  pulpit  and  from  many  living  ex- 
amples. Let  the  young  minister  who  is  desirous  to 
know  how  to  do  it,  study  such  books  as  Dr.  John  Brown's 
"  Discourses  and  Sayings  of  our  Lord  Illustrated,"  or 
the  same  autlior's  "  Expository  Discourses  on  I,  Peter ;  " 
or  th.e  good  Leigh  ton's  work  on  the  same  Epistle  ;  or 
Dr.  Hanna's  "  Life  of  Christ,"  and  his  more  recent  ex- 
position on  L  Corinthians  x\^.,  which  he  has  entitled 
"  The  Resurrection."  Or,  if  he  would  see  how  to  make 
a  history  at  once  attractive  and  richly  suggestive,  let 
him  read  ai^ain  and  aoain  Dr.  Vaucjhan's  volumes  on  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles.  Above  all  let  him  remember 
here,  as  in  all  other  things,  his  dependence  on  the  help 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  prayerfully  seeking  that  in  the 
closet,  while  he  diligently  does  his  best  in  the  study,  Jet 
him  go  forward  in  the  confidence  that  he  will  succeed. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

DR.    GUTHRIE'S    EARLY   MINISTRY. 

By  Rev.  James  McCosh,  D.  D.,  LL.D. 

His  preaching  had  already  the  characteristic  which 
afterwards  made  him  so  marked  a  man,  and  made  him 
what  I  was  accustomed  to  call  him,  "  the  pictorial 
preacher"  of  the  age.  I  was  told  that  when  he  was 
licensed  to  preach  the  gospel  he  preached  like  other 
people,  (always  preaching  sound  scriptural  truth),  but 
was  not  more  popular  than  other  people.  Some*  years 
before. I  went  to  Arbroath  he  preached  in  the  church  of 
which  I  was  afterwards  minister,  in  order,  it  was  under- 
stood, to  receive  a  call,  but  the  call  did  not  come.  When 
he  became  minister  in  Arberlot,  he  began  with  preach- 
ing after  the  approved  evangelical  model  and  delivered 
useful  sermons.  On  the  Sabbath  afternoon  he  held  an 
exercise  for  the  young,  and  there  he  began  to  let  out,  at 
first  timidly  his  peculiar  gifts.  He  would  tell  such  a 
story  as  this :  "  If  a  man  suffers  for  doing  a  good  deed, 
God  in  his  providence  may  find  means  of  recompensing 
him."  When  the  great  preacher  Willison  was  about  to 
remove  from  Brechin  to  Dundee,  he  was  so  obnoxious  to 
the  Jacobite  Lords  who  ruled  in  the  district,  that  he 


DR.  Guthrie's  early  ministry.  179 

Could  get  no  one  for  love  nor  money  to  convey  his  furni- 
ture. An  ancestor  of  mine,  a  farmer  in  Kincraig,  in 
the  parish  of  Brechin,  knowing  him  to  be  a  great  and 
good  man,  came  forward  boldly  and  lent  him  his  horses 
to  cart  his  o-oods  without  fee  or  reward. 

Years  rolled  on,  and  in  the  year  1746,  the  Duke  of 
Cumberland  passed  through  the  region  in  pursuit  of 
Prince  Charlie,  and  took  away  my  forefathers  horses. 
Wondering  how  he  might  get  his  property  restored,  he 
bethought  him  of  his  friend  Willison,  who  wrote  to  the 
proper  parties  and  got  his  horses  returned.  "  Do  what 
is  right  and  kind,  and  you  will  be  recompensed."  The 
dull  eye  of  the  'plough  hoy  and  the  servant  girl  who  had 
been  toiling  all  the  week  among  the  horses  and  cows, 
immediately  brightened  up  as  he  spoke  in  this  way^ 
and  they  were  sure  to  go  back  next  Sabbath,  and  take 
others  with  them.  The  farmer  and  his  wife  beo-an  to 
think  that  they  might  spend  their  Sabbath  afternoons  as 
pleasantly  in  this  way  as  in  any  other,  and  went  with 
their  children  and  domestics  to  the  meeting.  They  were 
not  sure  that  he  was  a  profound,  scholarly  preacher,  like 
some  of  the  men  in  the  neighborhood  who  were  made 
D.  D.'s,  by  the  colleges  ;  but  they  were  sure  their  new 
minister  was  a  warm  hearted  man,  and  they  were  pleased 
to  see  him  so  attracting  their  sons  and  their  daughters. 
He  made  it  part  of  his  afternoon  '^  exercise^'  to  cate- 
chise the  young  people  on  the  sermon  they  had  heard  in 
the  forenoon.  "This,"  he  was  accustomed  to  say,  "is 
a  severe  trial  to  a  minister  ;  it  is  sure  to  be  so  humblinsf. 
and  yet  he  may  profit  much  by  it.  How  disappointed 
we  feel  when  we  find  our  people  remembering  little  or 
nothing  of  the  passages  we  have  written  with  such  care. 


180  DR.   GUTHRIE'S  EARLY  MINISTRY. 

It  was  thus  I  learned  to  preach.  I  noticed  the  parts 
that  had  not  interested  my  audience  and  were  not  re- 
membered, henceforth  I  avoided  that  style  of  preaching. 
I  marked  the  passages  that  stuck  in  the  minds  of  rny 
young  people,  and  set  about  preaching  so  as  to  interest 
them.'^  As  he  told  me  this  shortly  after  my  settlement 
in  my  first  charge,  I  sought  to  profit  by  it,  and  came 
through  an  experience  somewhat  like  his.  I  did  not  try 
to  c^py  his  graphic  manner,  but  I  endeavored  to  'preach 
so  that  everybody  could  understand  me.  It  should  be 
added  that  his  unsurpassed  power  of  illustration  was 
always  employed  to  set  forth  the  grand  old  cardinal 
truths  of  the  Gospel. 

His  preparation  for  the  pulpit  was  conscientiously 
careful.  Possessed  of  a  ready  power  of  speech,  he  could 
have  extemporized  a  sermon  at  any  time,  and  thus  saved 
himself  much  labor.  But  during  all  the  years  he  was 
in  Arberlot  I  believe  he  never  entered  the  pulpit  w^ith- 
out  having  his  discourse  written  and  committed.  Had 
he  acted  in  any  other  way,  he  might  have  been  left,  in 
Arberlot  all  his  life,  greatly  esteemed  in  the  district, 
but  without  occupying  the  wide  sphere  which  God  opened 
to  him.  Not  that  he  kept  slavishly  to  what  he  had  writ- 
ten, being  fully  master  of  his  subject,  he  felt  himself 
free  to  utter  anything  that  occurred  to  him  at  the  mow.ent. 
Even  in  writing  he  kept  an  audience  before  his  mind's 
eye,  and  he  prepared  not  an  abdract  essay,  but  an  ad^ 
dress  to  be  spoken  to  men  and  women,  to  young  men  and 
maidens.  I  often  foimd  him  on  the  Saturday  night 
amendinor  and  correcting:  what  he  had  written,  and  fill- 
ing  his  mind  with  the  subject.     His  illustrative  style 


DR.  Guthrie's  early  ministry.  181 

made  his  discourse  move  easily  remeinhered  by  himself ^ 
as  it  was  more  easily  understood  by  his  audience. 

He  was  already  the  most  popular  minister  by  far  in 
the  district,  though  as  yet  not  much  known  beyond  it. 
In  all  the  surrounding  country  parishes,  when  he 
preached  at  the  week-day  services  in  connection  with 
the  dispensation  of  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper, 
the  whole  peop/e  rushed  to  hear  him.  In  Arbroath, 
where  he  often  preached  on  the  Sabbath  evenings  after 
officiating  at  home  during  the  day,  the  churches  were 
craivded  to  excess,  acd  you  would  have  seen  young  men 
and  women  evidently  moved,  and  old  men  and  women 
striving  to  conceal  the  tears  that  were  running  down 
their  furrovjed  cheeks.  Some  hard  men  thought  that  his 
discourses  were  not  very  logical ;  some  finical  men  and 
women  regarded  his  Forfarshire  pronunciation  as  very 
broad,  and  his  illustrations  rather  vivid ;  they  all  luent 
to  hear  him  because  their  hearts  luere  warmed.  And  here 
I  am  tempted  to  remark  that  those  critics  have  commit- 
ted a  great  mistake  who  represent  him  as  having  no 
other  quality  than  that  of  being  able  to  move  the  feel- 
ings. Deeper  down  than  even  his  power  of  exciting 
emotions  by  his  pictures  was  a  foundation  of  sound  com- 
mon sense  with  a  profound  knowledge  of  iiuman  nature, 
and  his  pathos  was  an  efflorescence  from  this  root.  Some 
years  after,  Sir  William  Hamilton  said  to  me  quietly, 
"  Your  friend,  Dr.  Guthrie,  is  the  best  preacher  I  ever 
heard."  I  answered  that  I  did  not  wonder  at  the  opinion. 
16 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

DR.    TODD    AS    A    PREACHER. 

[AUTHORIZED  EXTRACT— STORY  OF  HIS  LIFE.] 

Rev.  John  E.  Todd^ 

In  liis  conception  of  the  office  of  a  preacher,  the  appli- 
cation of  divine  truth  to  the  hearts  and  consciences  of 
men  stood  most  prominent.  Hence  the  most  important 
qualification  for  the  ministry,  after  a  sanctified  heart, 
was,  in  his  opinion,  a  thorough  theological  training  ;  and 
whenever  he  was  called  to  aid  in  settling  a  minister,  he 
never  failed  to  judge  of  the  candidate's  abilities  and 
probable  success  by  his  appearance  in  his  theological 
examination.  Not  that  he  approved  of  preaching  scien- 
tific theology — in  all  his  ministry  he  never  preached  but 
one  course  of  sermons  on  theology,  and  could  never  be 
induced  to  repeat  it — but  he  took  the  ground  that  no 
man  can  present  truth  clearly  and  forcibly,  who  has  not 
its  piinciples  thoroughly  comprehended  and  scientifically 
unfolded  in  his  own  mind.  His  own  studies  in  theology 
were  from  the  first  unremitted  and  severe,  and  there 
was  no  subject  which  had  such  interest  for  him  as  this 
"greatest  of  sciences." 

Oi  practical  preaching,  as  it  is  called,  the  rebuking 


DE,  TODD   AS   A  PEEACHER.  183 

of  specific  sins  of  his  hearers,  he  did  very  little  ;  and  the 
preaching  of  politics,  and  the  cheap  eloquence  of  the 
denunciation  of  those  who  did  not  hear  him,  he  left 
wholly  to  others.  In  this,  no  one  who  knew  him,  or  who 
reads  the  story  of  his  Groton  ministry,  will  accuse  him 
oifear,  a  feeling  of  which  he  seems  to  have  been  incapa- 
ble,  or  of  a  desire  to  propitiate  his  hearers.  The  course 
which  he  pursued  was  adopted  from  principle,  and  a 
settled  conviction  that  it  was  the  one  most  likely  to 
make  his  hearers  better.  "  I  have  not  been  accustomed 
to  name  and  preach  against  any  particular  aonusements 
— theatres,  dramas,  card-playing,  and  the  like.  I  have 
thought  it  best  to  inculcate  the  great  principles  of  the 
Bible  on  the  conscience,  to  make  the  tree  good,  and  the 
hearts  holy,  and  then  to  trust  the  tree  would  bring  forth 
good  fruits.  I  have  tried  to  make  you  live  and  act  as 
seeing  Him  that  is  invisible.  In  my  own  experiences  I 
have  got  along  very  comfortably,  and  been  measurably 
cheerful,  though  I  was  never  in  a  theatre,  at  the  opera, 
or  in  a  ball-room  ;  never  saw  a  game  of  cards  or  billiards 
played.  And  you  have  all  known  l>y  my  way  of  educa- 
ting my  own  family,  precisely  how  I  have  looked  upon 
these  things.  I  have  often  noticed  that  peojle  are  so 
much  like  children,  that  if  j^ou  denounce  an  amusement, 
or  a  bad  book,  they  will  be  sure  to  seek  it.  Let  the 
pulpit  recommend  one  good  book,  and  perhaps  one  will 
buy  it ;  let  it  denounce  a  bad  book,  and  ten  will  buy  it. 
That  is  human  nature." 

The  basis  of  this  theology,  and  of  all  his  preaching, 
was  the  Bible.  In  accepting^his  call  to  the  first  cnurch 
under  his  care,  he  wrote :  "  In  my  preaching  I  shall 
keep  closely  to  the  Word  of  God  j  by  this  I  would  have 


184  DE.   TODD   AS   A  PEEACHEE. 

you  test  my  instructions."  And  to  this  he  faithfully 
adhered,  through  his  whole  ministry.  To  interpret  and 
expound  the  Word  of  God,  rather  than  to  pliilosophize 
and  speculate,  was,  in  his  opinion,  the  business  of  the 
jDreacher.  Often  his  sermons  were  expository ;  often 
they  were  studies  of  Scripture  characters ;  often  they 
were  presentations  of  great  facts  and  truths  taught  in 
the  Scriptures ;  and  always  they  were  full  of  Scripture 
language  and  imagery,  and  appealed  to  Scripture  au- 
thority. For  the  Bible  he  always  entertained  the  deep- 
est reverence.  To  him  it  was  truly  the  Word  of  God. 
It  was  a  fueling  which  the  Andover  professors  of  his  day 
entertained  to  a  remarkable  degree,  and  with  which 
they  inspired  the  students.  It  was  a  feeling  derived 
from  his  very  earliest  training.  No  objections  or  diffi- 
culties raised  by  scientific  men  ever  shook  his  confidence 
in  the  Scriptures ;  he  was  ready  to  reject  at  once  all 
scientific  speculations  that  conflicted  with  what  he  knew 
to  be  true.  Perhaps  he  was  too  ready  to  scout  at  scien- 
tific theories,  and  had  too  little  consideration  for  honest 
doubt;  but  to  him  skepticism  was  not  merely  unkonwn, 
it  was  simply  unintelligible.  He  probably  never  had 
an  hour  of  doubt  of  the  Bible  in  all  his  life.  To  him  it 
was  like  the  sun  in  the  heavens,  as  great  and  as  indubi- 
table. 

It  was  his  original  intention  to  preach  much  of  the 
time  without  notes.  "1  intend  to  preach  extemporane- 
ously half  of  the  time  after  I  am  settled,  and  half  writ- 
ten sermons.  I  am  persuaded  that  no  man  can  be  really 
eloquent  very  frequently,  who  is  wholly  confined  to 
notes."  For  some  years  this  resolution  was  faithfully 
kept — in  part  of  necessity — and  not  without  satisfactory 


BR.   TODD   AS   A   PllEACHER.  185 

results.  *'  I  preach  extempore  in  the  pulpit  about  one 
half  of  the  time,  and  these  sermons  do  by  far  the  most 
good."  But  gradually  a  practical  difficulty  arose.  "  I 
have  been  applying  myself  more  closely  to  study  than 
usual,  of  late,  and  I  feel  it  brings  me  back  to  my  old 
feelings.  I  cannot  speak  extempore  when  I  study  hard. 
The  reason  I  cannot  assign  ;  the  fact  I  am  sure  of."  As 
he  was  determined  not  to  abandon  study,  and  become 
an  empty-headed,  flashy  speaker,  he  was  naturally  led 
to  write  out  his  sermons  more  and  more,  till  in  the  last 
part  of  his  ministry  he  seldom  spoke  from  the  pulpit 
without  at  least  very  full  notes.  His  habit  in  writing 
was,  first,  to  select  a  text  and  map  out  a  train  of  thought 
upon  it.  This  was  done,  generally,  not  in  his  study,  but 
in  his  walks  or  rides,  or  in  sleepless  hours,  or  wherever 
his  mind  met  a  suggestion,  or  fell  into  a  constructive 
mood.  The  next  step  was  to  trace  the  skeleton  on 
paper,  as  quickly  and  as  fully  as  possible.  "A  few 
nights  since,  as  I  was  watching  over  my  sick  child,  the 
text,  'As  for  God,  His  way  is  perfect,'  came  into  my 
mind  wdth  great  force,  and,  taking  my  pencil,  I  worked 
out  the  particular  train  of  thoughts  which  I  am  about  to 
present  you." 

In  writing  out  the  sermon,  he  did  not  bind  himself  to 
any  regular  hours,  though  he  usually  wrote  in  the  fore- 
noon, when  he  was  freshest  and  strongest ;  nor  did  he 
have  to  wait  for  inspiration ;  he  seemed  to  have  power 
of  commanding  the  faculty  of  composition  at  pleasure. 
While  writing,  he  sat  in  a  low  rocking-chair,  so  that  his 
eyes  were  near  the  desk,  his  coat  off,  and  his  shirt-cuffs 
rolled  back,  his  collar  loosened  or  torn  off,  his  glasses 
laid  aside,  and  a  warm  soapstone  at  his  feet  to  counter- 
16* 


186  DR.   TODD  AS   A  PREACHER, 

act  the  tendency  of  the  blood  to  the  head.  He  always 
wrote  with  a  quill,  and  he  wrote  without  stopping  for  an 
instant.  While  engaged  in  writing,  he  was  entirely 
absorbed  in  his  work.  One  of  his  first  parishioners,  re- 
ferring to  an  occasion  when  several  persons  were  in  his 
study,  writes  :  "  While  we  were  sewing,  and  chatting, 
and  laughing  in  his  study,  all  in  the  most  hilarious 
spirits,  he  wouy  sit  at  his  table,  so  absorbed  in  writing 
a  sermon  as  to  be  unconscious  of  persons  or  conversation 
in  the  room.  But  when  he  reached  a  point,  or  was 
tired,  he  would  instantly  drop  the  pen,  and  strike  off  in 
conversation  with  wonderful  buoyancy  and  humor. 
Then,  feeling  rested,  he  would  as  suddenly  take  up  the 
pen  and  fall  back  into  abstraction.  He  possessed  con- 
centration and  elasticity  of  mind  in  far  greater  degree 
than  any  man  I  ever  knew." 

These  qualities  remained  with  him  through  life.  His 
study  door  was  seldom  locked,  and  conversation,  and 
even  children's  play,  unless  too  boisterous,  rarely  dis- 
turbed him.  In  fact,  his  abstraction  was  so  great  that 
he  became  unconscious  of  what  he  was  doing,  and  in 
pursuing  a  train  of  thought  would  fall  into  most  ludic- 
rous errors  of  spelling  and  grammar,  and  into  a  very 
imperfect  and  disjointed  style.  "  I  strike  only  for  the 
thought,  write  with  great  rapidity,  and  have  no  time  to 
examine  the  wheelbarrow  in  which  I  trundle  my  ideas 
and  impressions."  Most  of  his  errors  he  would  detect 
as  quickly,  and  laugh  at  as  heartily,  as  any  one,  on 
reading  over  what  he  had  written  ;  but,  unfortunately, 
it  was  not  always  so  easy  to  correct  his  sentences  as  to 
detect  their  faults,  without  wholly  reconstructing  them ; 
and  as  he  cared  but  little  for  rhetorical  finish,  provided 


DR.   TODD   AS   A  PREACHER.  187 

he  was  understood,  he  allowed  iiis  works  to  remain  full 
of  linguistic  errors,  for  the  enjoyment  of  critics  who 
strain  at  gnats  and  swallow  camels.  After  writing  for 
an  hour  or  so,  he  would  drop  his  pen,  and  spring  up  and 
stretch  himself,  and  walk  up  and  down  the  room,  or 
busy  himself  with  his  tools  or  traps,  singing  meantime, 
in  a  not  unmelodious  but  perfectly  uncultivated  voice, 
some  stave  of  a  tune  that  ear  never  heard,  and  it  never 
entered  the  heart  of  man  to  conceive  before.  In  later 
years  he  often  made  a  %iBg  visit  down  to  "  Mary's 
room,"  and  exchanged  a  few  words  and  laughs  with  the 
suffering  prisoner  there,  and  those  who  were  with  her. 
After  such  an  interval  of  a  few  moments,  he  would  re- 
turn to  his  desk,  and  in  a  moment  be  as  rapidly  at  work 
as  ever.  Dinner  seldom  came  before  the  sheets  of  at 
least  half  a  sermon  lay  scattered  on  the  floor.  On  Sun- 
day morning  he  invariably  shut  himself  up  in  his  study 
with  his  sermons,  and  we  would  hear  him  for  an  hour  or 
more,  reading  over  in  a  low  voice,  and  familiarizing 
himself  with,  what  he  was  about  to  preach. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE    POWER    OF    ILLUSTRATION. 

{ABSTRACT.] 

John  Bowling,  D.  D. 

"  Eloquence  is  the  art  of  speaking  in  such  a  way  as  is 
best  adapted  to  attract^  to  instruct^  to  convince,  and  to 
persuade.'' 

For  it  is  the  power  of  pleasing  which  attracts ;  it  is 
the  material  of  truth  which  instructs  ;  it  is  the  force  of 
argument  which  convinces  ;  and  it  is  the  power  of  appeal 
which  persuades ; — while  the  faculty  of  perceiving  and 
applying  analogies,  in  other  words  the  power  of  illustra- 
tion, contributes  attractiveness,  beauty  and  force  to 
oratory. 

There  is  therefore,  probably,  no  single  qualification 
of  the  orator  so  well  adapted  to  attract,  and  to  instruct 
an  audience  as  a  happy  faculty  of  illustration.  And 
here,  unquestionably,  is  to  be  found  the  reason  why  many 
a  man  of  limited  literary  attainments  and  entirely 
ignorant  of  the  sciences  of  the  schools,  yet  eminently 
endowed  with  the  faculty  of  perceiving  analogies,  with 
industry  enough  by  observation  and  reading  to  supply 
himself  with  the  material  of  analogies,  and  strong  com- 


THE  POWER   OF  ILLUSTRATION.  189 

mon  sense  in  their  application,  has  wielded  an  influence 
'over  the  popular  mind  and  achieved  an  amount  of  solid 
good  far  beyond  the  accomplished  scholar  and  learned 
divine  who  may  have  passed  half  a  life-time  in  the  halls 
of  learning ;  but  with  all  his  acquisitions,  has  failed  to 
cultivate  the  power  of  illustration. 

The  power  of  illustration  must  therefore  be  a  very 
important  element,  of  Pulpit  success. 

The  great  advantages  resulting  from  the  use  of  striking 
and  vivid  illustrations  are,  that  they  serve,  (1)  to  attract 
and  secure  attention  ;  (2)  to  afford  ;^cope  for  copiousness 
and  variety  in  the  exhibition  of  truths  which  have  long 
been  familiar  ;  (3)  to  impress  the  memory  by  their  point 
and  force  ;  and  (4)  to  render  complex  and  difficult  sub- 
jects easy  and  plain. 

I.  The  word  illustration  signifies  to  make  clear  or 
manifest,  to  clear  from  darkness  or  obscurity  by  analo-. 
gies,  comparisons,  or  examples  ;  whether  they  be  meta- 
phors, similes,  parables,  illustrative  examples,  or  historic 
illusions. 

(1.)  Both  metaphors  and  similes  a.re  used  hy  the 
inspired  ivr iters  for  illustrating  the  truth.  When  the 
Psalmist  says :  "The  Lord  is  my  rock  and  my  fortress," 
he  illustrates  by  a  metaphor  the  probition  of  the  Al- 
mighty, for  the  comparison  is  implied.  When  he  says  : 
*'  As  the  mountains  are  round  about  Jerusalem,  so  the 
Lord  is  round  about  his  people,"  he  illustrates  the  same 
idea  by  the  simile  ;  for  here  the  comparison  is  expressed. 

Some  preachers  have  a  delightful  faculty  of  illustra- 
ting truth,  by  means  of  happy  and  appropriate  supposi^ 
tions  employed  by  way  of  simile  or  comparison.  Dr. 
Payson  had  this  faculty  in  an  eminent  degree. 


190  THE  POWEE  OF   ILLUSTEATION. 

"  Suppose  (said  he)  you  wished  to  separate  a  quantity 
of  brass  and  steel  filings  mixed  together  in  one  vessel ; 
how  would  you  effect  this  separation  ?  "  Apply  a  load- 
stone, and  immediately  every  particle  of  iron  v/ill  attach 
itself  to  it,  while  the  brass  tilings  remain  behind.  Thus 
if  we  see  a  company  of  true  and  false  professors  of  relig- 
ion, we  may  not  be  able  to  distinguish  between  them  ; 
but  let  Christ  by  the  special  renewing  influences  of  his 
Spirit  come  among  them,  and  all  sincere  followers  will 
be  attracted  towards  him,  as  the  steel  is  drawn  to  the 
magnet,  while  those  who  have  none  of  his  spirit  will 
remain  at  a  distance  and  neolect  his  cause. 

(2.)  Leaving  the  consideration  of  the  metaphor,  let 
us  now  proceed  to  the  parabolic  form  of  illustration, 

A  parable  is  a  fable  or  allegorical  relation  or  repre- 
sentation of  something  in  real  life  or  nature,  from  which 
a  moral  is  drawn  for  instruction. 

It  consists  of  a  continued  narration  of  a  fictitious  event, 
applied  by  way  of  simile,  to  the  illustration  of  some 
important  truth. 

With  what  inimitable  beauty  and  skill  does  the  Great 
Teacher  employ  this  mode  of  enlightening  the  ignorance, 
rebuking  the  ingratitude  or  condemning  the  obduracy  of 
his  hearers  ! 

His  parables  constitute  a  complete  and  invaluable 
model  for  the  study  and  imitation  of  all  whose  duty  it 
is  to  teach  and  to  preach  the  truths  of  that  Gospel  which 
Christ  himself  proclaimed  in  such  a  way  that  the  multi- 
tudes "  hung  upon  his  lips,  and  the  common  jpeople 
heard  him  gladly.''  "All  the  people  were  very  atten- 
tive to  hear  him." 

And  it  is  certainly  a  sufficient  reply  to  those  who  affect 


THE  POWER  OF  ILLUSTRATION.  191 

to  undervalue  or  to  dispise  the  illustrative  mode  of 
preaching  or  of  teaching,  that  of  all  the  public  instruc- 
tions of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  only  perfect  preacher 
that  ever  lived,  a  very  large  proportion,  probably  more 
than  one.half  ci  all  that  are  recorded,  were  delivered  in 
the  form  of  comparison  or  parable. 

And  ministers  of  the  Gospel  should  never  be  ashamed 
to  adopt  Christ  himself  as  their  model  in  preaching. 
They  cannot  be  in  better  company  than  when  traveling 
by  his  side.  They  cannot  be  in  better  employment  than 
when  listening  to  his  words,  and  studying  his  example. 
They  cannot  be  safer,  than  when  the  shaft  of  criticism 
or  of  censure  hurled  at  themselves,  must  before  it 
reaches  them  light  upon  the  Master  whom  thej  serve. 

And  here,  I  observe,  there  is  another  class  of  illustra- 
tions, which  may  be  termed  illustrations  by  parabolic 
facts,  in  distinction  from  parabolic  suppositions. 

In  the  latter,  the  narrative  which  forms  the  basis  of 
the  parable,  is  fictitious  ;  in  the  former  it  is  real.  In 
the  one,  the  events  of  the  narrative  are  imaginary  ;  in 
the  other  they  are  true. 

The  field  of  illustration  thus  opened  in  the  class  of 
parabolic  or  analogical  facts,  is  one  of  vast  extent  and 
almost  infinite  variety.  Its  sources  are  well-nigh  ex- 
haustless,  from  Scripture,  from  history,  and  from  anec- 
dotes and  facts  of  daily  occurrence  in  all  times. 

(3.)  The  illustrative  example,  which  is  the  next  kind 
of  illustration,  consists  in  the  relation  of,  or  allusion  to, 
actual  occurrences,  for  the  purpose  of  warning,  encour- 
agement, emulation  or  example.  In  an  illustrative  ex- 
ample, the  illustration  given  is  always  similar  in  its 
nature  to  the  truth  illustrated.     The  13th  chapter  of 


192  THE  POWEE^OF  ILLUSTRATION. 

Matthew  is  a  collection  of  parables.     The  11th  cliapter 
of  Hebrews  is  a  collection  of  illustrative  examples. 

II.  Having  thus  explained  the  science  of  illustration 
and  specified  the  principal  classes  of  illustrations,  let  us 
noiu  show  what  we  mean  by  the  power  of  illustration  in 
the  pulpit,  and  give  some  brief  suggestions  for  its  suc- 
cess fid  cultivation  and  improven^ent. 

"  The  power  of  illustration,  says  Dr.  Bacon,  is  nothing 
else  than  the  ready  perception  of  analogies,  with  an 
abundant  store  of  various  and  familiar  information.  The 
ready  perception  of  analogies,  and  the  p  issession  of 
analogies  to  be  perceived."  In  order  that  the  power  of 
illustration  may  be  possessed  in  a  high  degree,  there 
must  be»(l)  a  habit  of  observation;  (2)  extensive  and 
varied  reading ;  (3)  a  retentive  memory,  to  be  used  as 
a  store-house  of  facts,  collected  bv  observation  and  read- 
ing ;  (4)  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  truths  to  be 
illustrated,  and  (5)  a  readiness  in  perceiving  analogies, 
that  the  facts  collected  may  be.  applied  to  the  illustra- 
tion of  the  truths  to  be  taught. 

How  frequently  do  the  inspired  writers  draw  their 
tribute  of  illustration  from  the  nature  and  habits  of  the 
animal  creation  ! 

"  The  eagle  stirring  up  her  nest,"  or  "  fluttering  over 
her  young/'  or  "  bea^ring  them  on  her  wings ;  "  the  lion 
"  greedy  of  his  prey,"  or  "lying  in  wait  secretly,"  or 
"  walking  about,  roaring,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour ;" 
the  bear  "  robbed  of  her  whelps;  "  the  wolf  "  catching 
and  scattering  the  sheep  ;  "  the  "  ox  which  knoweth  his 
owner,"  and  the  "ass,  his  master's  crib;"  the  ant, 
which  "  provideth  her  meat  in  the  summer,  and  gath- 
ereth  her  food  in  the  harvest ; "  the  bird,  in  whose  sight 


*  THE  POWER  OF  ILLUSTRATION.  193 

**  the  net  is  spread  in  vain;"  the  fowls  of  the  air, 
*'  which  sow  not,  neither  do  they  reap ;  "  the  hen 
"  gathereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings," — these,  and 
a  vast  variety  of  sinciilar  illustrations  are  employed  by 
the  sacred  writers,  or  by  our  blessed  Lord  himself,  to 
add  force,  and  beauty,  and  point,  to  their  instructions, 
expostulations,  arguments  and  entreaties. 

If  we  turn  to  other  fields  of  illustration,  explored  py 
the  sacred  writers,  we  shall  find  in  them  all  a  copious- 
ness and  variety  almost  equally  rich. 

In  the  Bible,  we  find  all  nature  and  all  history  laid 
under  tribute,  to  furnish  illustrations  of  the  truth.  The 
sun,  the  moon  and  the  stars  ;  the  ocean,  the  troubled 
sea  when  it  cannot  rest,  and  the  waters  casting  up  mire 
and  dirt  ;  the  winds,  the  rivers,  and  the  still  waters ; 
the  rocks,  the  hills,  the  mountains  and  the  valley  ;  the 
trees  planted  by  the  rivers  of  water ;  the  oaks  of 
Bashaw,  and  the  cedars  of  Lebanon  ;  the  vine,  the  olive, 
the  pomegranate,  the  rose  of  Sharon,  and  the  lily  of  the 
valley ;  the  mustard  plant,  the  wheat  and  the  tares  ; 
the  process  of  vegetation,  the  decomposition  or  death  of 
the  graiu  of  wheat ;  the  blade,  the  ear,  and  the  full  corn 
in  the  ear  ;  the  occupations  of  men,  the  husbandman, 
waiting  for  the  precious  fruits  of  the  earth,  the  sower 
going  forth  to  sow,  the  shepherd  tending  his  flock,  or  the 
refiner  j)urifying  his  silver  and  his  gold  ;  buildings, 
corner-stones,  foundation-stones,  precious  stones,  and 
jewels. 

The  common  events  of  life,  the  discovery  of  a  pearl 

in  a  field,  the  finding  of  a  lost  coin  or  a  stray  sheep, 

the  casting  of  a  net  into  the  sea,  the  return  of  a  spend- 
17 


194  THE  POWER  OF  ILLTJSTRATlOK. 

thrift  son,  the  compassion  of  a  benevolent  traveler,  and 
the  ceremonies  of  a  marriaoe  feast. 

The  events  of  history,  the  characters  of  good  men  or 
bad,  the  virtues  they  exercised  or  the  vices  they  exhib- 
ited, the  influence  they  exerted,  the  rewards  or  the  pun- 
ishments that  resulted  from  their  conduct. 

All  these,  besides  a  multitude  of  other  objects  and 
events,  formed  the  material  of  the  rich  and  almost  ex- 
haustless  fund  of  illustration,  found  in  the  inspired 
records.  And  no  sermon  can  be  complete  unless  its  in- 
structions are  illustrated,  and  its  positions  are  confirmed 
by  the  authoritative  declarations  of  inspiration. 

And  if  such  were  the  practices  of  the  primitive  and 
inspired  preachers  of  God's  Word  in  the  free  use  of  il- 
lustration, and  by  whose  ministry  the  glorious  Gospel 
made  such  rapid  progress  throughout  the  known  world  in 
the  early  ages  of  the  church,  may  not  the  great  decline  of 
interest  in  the  nfwdern  pulpit,  and  in  its  success  in  the 
promotion  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  be  attributable  in  a 
great  measure  to  its  neylect  of  illustrating  God's  truth 
as  was  done  by  the  inspired  models  ? 

We  have  seen  how  largely  our  Lord  himself  employed 
this  interesting  and  impressive  method  of  instructing  the 
multitudes  which  thronged  his  ministry.  This  was  ob- 
viously one  of  the  strong  reasons  why  "  the  common 
'people  heard  him  gladly,''  And  1  apprehend  it  has  been 
the  common  practice  of  nearly  all  successful  revival 
preachers,  from  the  Apostle  Peter  on  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost, to  that  of  the  late  Dr.  Guthrie,  Scotland's  best 
preacher,  and  to  the  honored  and  successful  Moody  of 
the  present  day.     And  shall  not  the  present  generation 


THE  POWER  OF  ILLUSTRATION.  195 

of  ministers  endeavor  to  restore  the  interest  and  poiver 
of  the  pulpit  ? 

It  is  now  much  more  difficult  to  awaken  and  keep  the 
attention  than  formerly,  even  those  who  look  at  the  min- 
ister steadily,  are  too  frequently  jolanning  their  business, 
and  their  minds  like  the  fools  eye,  roving  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth. 

A  few  brief  directions  will  conclude  the  present  dis- 
course. Would  you  acquire  and  retain  in  a  high  degree, 
the  power  of  illustration  my  ministerial  brethren  ?  Then 
(1)  cultivate  aiul  give  free  scope  to  your  habits  of  obser- 
vation, and  your  opportunities  of  inquiring  and  research. 
Keep  your  eyes  and  ears  constantly  open.  Study  men 
and  things  as  you  will  meet  them  in  the  common  walks 
of  life. 

Instead  of  isolating  yourselves  from  the  masses,  as  is 
too  frequently  done  by  men  of  study  and  literature, 
mingle  freely  with  the  people,  and  while  you  aim  to  do 
them  good  by  a  holy  example,  never  be  ashamed  to  ask 
and  receive  information,  from  any  who  are  able  to  give 
it.  However  humble  their  occupation,  and  however 
limited  their  literary  attainments  compared  with  your 
own,  you  will  often  discover  a  vein  of  good  common 
sense,  and  a  fund  of  valuable  information  on  common 
things,  possessed  by  the  farmer,  the  mechanic,  or  the 
laborer,  which  cannot  be  acquired  in  the  halls  of  learn- 
ing or  of  sciences,  and  of  which  you  will  find  it  much 
to  your  advantage  to  avail  yourselves. 

(2.)  Give  attendance  to  reacZin^.  Cultivate  a  famil- 
iar  acquaintance,  next  to  the  sacred  Scriptures,  with  the 
history  of  the  Church  in  every  age,  and  the  lives  of  the 
holy  men  who  have  been  its  defenders  or  its  ornaments. 


196  THE  POWEE  OF  ILLUSTEATIOS". 

Study  the  secular  history,  too,  of  every  age  and  nation, 
and  the  biography  of  the  men  who  have  become  famous, 
either  in  ancient  or  modern  times,  for  their  power,  their 
learning,  their  genius  or  their  eloquence. 

Explore,  if  possible,  every  field  from  which  sources  of 
illustrations  can  be  drawn.  Let  the  starry  heavens 
above  you,  and  the  verdant  earth  beneath  you,  with  its 
trees  and  plants  and  flowers  ;  the  air  with  its  winged 
inhabitants  ;  the  sea  with  its  finny  tribes ;  the  land  with 
its  beasts  and  creeping  things,  all  be  the  subjects  of 
reading,  observation  and  study,  for  all  contribute  their 
share  to  the  illustration  of  the  momentous  themes  of  the 
pulpit. 

(3.)  Cultivate  your  power  of  perceiving  analogies. 
Acquire  the  habit  of  pulpit. appropriation  throughout 
the  whole  circle  of  your  reading,  observation  and  study . 
Whether  you  are  reading  history,  or  biography,  or  travel, 
science,  or  eloquence,  or  poetry,  or  any  other  department 
of  literature,  be  constantly  on  the  watch  for  analogies  to 
illustrate  the  themes  of  the  pulpit.  To  a  mind  ever 
thus  on  the  watch  for  illustrations  of  truth  or  of  duty, 
no  intellectual  pursuit  will  be  barren  of  instruction  or 
profit.  All  his  mental  acquisitions  will  be  made  to  pay 
their  tribute  to  the  pulpit ;  and  even  the  common  oc- 
currences of  every  day  life,  and  the  common  journals 
of  every  day  news,  will  contribute  their  quota  to  enrich 
that  treasury  of  illustration  laid  up  in  the  store-house 
of  his  memory,  to  be  used  as  occasion  may  require,  and 
seldom  will  a  single  day  be  allowed  to  pass  without  ad- 
dins^  to  the  stock  on  hand. 

(4.)     Finally,    I   would    say,    above  all,  cultivate  'a 
habit  of  spiritual  mindedness,  and  that  will  turn  every- 


THE  POWER  OF  ILLUSTRATION.  197 

tiling  Id  to  pulpit  gold.  Set  your  affections  upon  things 
above.  Set  your  affections  upon  things  above.  Think 
much  of  Christ  and  of  Heaven.  Breathe  the  atmos- 
phere of  Gethsemane  and  of  Calvary,  and  let  the  eye  of 
faith  and  of  love  be  habitually  fixed  on  the  Saviour 
who  there  agonized  and  died. 

To  borrow  the  words  of  another :  "I  would  say, 
Baptize  your  souls  in  '  Baxter's  Saint's  Rest,'  "  to  which 
I  would  add,  and  in  such  works  as  "  Flavel's  Fountain 
of  Life,"  or  "  Owen's  Spiritual  Mindedness,"  or  his 
"Person  and  Glory  of  Christ,"  or  "  Ambrose's  Looking 
to  Jesus." 

This  habit  of  meditating  upon  the  tender  and  subdu- 
ing: themes  connected  with  the  work  of  redeemino^  s^race 
and  love,  will  prepare  the  mind  to  pluck  the  flowers  of 
spiritual  instruction  and  delight  from  every  field,  and 
will  consequently  tend  pre-eminently  to  qualif}^  that 
minister  or  that  teacher  who  thus  lives,  quite  on  the 
verge  of  Heaven,  to  be  a  successful  spiritual  instructor 
to  others. 

Let  it  be  your  aim,  therefore,  my  ministerial  brethren, 
so  to  live  and  so  to  labor,  as  you  would  if  Christ  himself, 
in  a  form  which  your  bodily  eyes  might  see,  were  stand- 
ing by  your  side,  and  fixing  on  you  his  eyes  of  tender- 
ness and  love,  as  he  did  upon  that  disciple  whom  he 
loved,  when  leaning  on  his  breast  at  supper,  or  when  he 
spoke  to  him  from  his  cross  of  agony  ;  or  as  he  did  upon 
Peter  who  denied  him,  when  that  look  of  mingled  ten- 
derness, pity  and  reproach  caused  the  too  confident  but 
now  broken-hearted  disciple  "to  go  out  and  weep  bit- 
terly." 

And  is  it  not  in  reality  true,  that  Jesus  still  lives  ? 

17* 


198  THE  POWER  OF  ILLtrSTEATION. 

that  "  He  liveth  and  was  dead,  and  is  alive  for  ever- 
more 1 ' ' 

Is  it  not  literally  true,  ye  ministers  of  Christ,  that 
the  eye  of  the  Master  whom  ye  serve,  is  every  moment 
resting  its  piercing  glance  upon  you,  just  as  really  and 
just  as  truly  as  though  your  bodily  eyes  could  behold 
him  ? 

And  is  it  not  for  your  special  encouragement  that  he 
assures  you  of  the  fact,  when  he  says :  "  Lo,  I  am  with 
you  always,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world  ?  " 

It  is  related  of  a  chief  of  the  MacGregors,  a  Jligh- 
land  clan,  who  had  warmly  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
exiled  Stuarts,  that  when  advancing  under  the  banners 
of  Charles  Edward,  against  the  English  troops  at  the 
battle  of  Preston  Pans,  in  1715,  he  was  struck  to  the 
ground  by  two  balls  from  the  enemy.  The  MacGregor 
clan  seeing  their  loved  chieftain  fall,  began  to  waver, 
when  the  wounded  captain  instantly  raised  himself  upon 
his  elbow,  and  as  the  blood  streamed  from  his  wounds, 
exclaimed  aloud  :  "  I  am  not  dead  my  children  !  I  am 
looking  at  you  to  see  if  you  do  your  duty  !  ' ' 

Thus  ye  ministers  of  Christ,  as  ye  go  forth  to  battle 
with  the  hosts  of  darkness,  if  ever  your  hearts  falter,  or 
your  faith  gives  way,  if  ever  your  spiritual  adversaries 
should  seem  to  gain  a  temporary  advantage,  remember 
that  the  Master  whom  you  serve,  and  who  is  at  once 
your  Saviour  and  your  captain — the  great  captain  of 
your  salvation,  is  not  dead  but  alive,  and  that  from  his 
throne  on  high,  He  is  looking  at  you,  to  see  if  you  do  your 
duty.  Therefore,  "  Press  toward  the  mark  for  theprize,^* 
Remember,  "  they  that  be  wise  shall  shine,  as  the  bright- 


iENCOQRAGEMENTS.  199 

est  of  the  firmament,  and  they  that  turn  many  to  right- 
eousness as  the  stars  forever  and  ever." 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 
George  Duffield,  D.  D. 

Stand  up ! — stand  up  for  Jesus ! 

Ye  soldiers  of  the  cross ; 
Lift  high  his  royal  banner, 

It  must  not  suffer  loss : 
From  victory  unto  victory 

His  army  shall  be  lead, 
Till  every  foe  is  vanquished, 

And  Christ  is  Lord  indeed. 

Stand  up ! — stand  up  for  Jesus ! 

The  trumpet  call  obey; 
Forth  to  the  mighty  conflict, 

In  this  his  glorious  day : 
"Ye  that  are  men,  now  serve  him," 

Against  unnumbered  foes  ;■ 
Your  courage  rise  with  danger, 

And  strength  to  strength  oppose. 

Stand  up ! — Stand  up  for  Jesus ! 

Stand  in  his  strength  alone ; 
The  arm  of  flesh  will  fail  you — 

Ye  dare  not  trust  your  own : 
Put  on  the  gospel  armor. 

And,  watching  unto  prayer. 
Where  duty  calls,  or  danger, 

Be  never  wanting  there, 

Stand  up ! — stand  up  for  Jesus ! 

The  strife  will  not  be  longf ; 
This  day  the  noise  of  battle. 

The  next  the  victor's  song : 
To  him  that  evercometh, 

A  crown  of  life  shall  be ; 
He  with  the  King  of  Glory 

Shall  reign  eternally ! 


CHAPTEK  XXXIIL 
USES    OF    ILLUSTRATION. 

(AUTHORIZED  EXTRACTS.) 

Prof.  J.  A.  Broadus,  D.  D.,  L.  L.  D. 

I.  Illustrations  are  used  to  explain,  to  prove,  to  adorn, 
and  to  render  impressive. 

(1.)  Perhaps  the  principal  use  of  illustrations  is  to 
explain.  This  they  do  either  by  presenting  an  example 
of  the  matter  in  hand,  a  case  in  point,  or  by  presenting 
something  similar  or  analogous  to  it,  which  will  make 
the  matter  plain. 

(2.)  But  illustrations  are  also  very  frequently  em- 
ployed to  prove.  This  is  done  in  some  rare  cases,  by 
presenting  an  example  which  warrants  an  induction; 
commonly  it  is  an  argument  from  analogy, 

(3.)  Illustrations  are  valuable  as  an  ornament. 
Their  use,  for  this  purpose,  as  terkind  and  amount,  must 
be  governed  by  the  general  principles  which  pertain  to 
elegance  of  style. 

(4.)  Finally,  they  frequently  serve  to  render  a  sub- 
ject impressive,  by  exciting  some- kindred  or  preparatory 
emotion.  Thus,  in  the  parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son,  the 
natural  pathos  of  the  story  itself  touches  the  heart,  and 


USES   OF  ILLUSTRATION.  201 

prepares  it  to  be  all  tbe  more  impressed  by  tbe  thougbt 
of  God's  readiness  to  welcome  tbe  returning  sinner. 

Tbe  ir}i2?ortance  of  illustration  in  jpreaching  is  beyond 
compression.  In  numerous  cases  it  is  our  best  means  of 
explaining  religious  trutb,  and  often,  to  tbe  ijopidar 
mind,  our  only  means  of  proving  it.  Sucb  was  fre- 
quently  tbe  case  witb  tbe  first  bearers  of  our  Lord's 
parables. 

In  preacbing  to  cbildren,  and  to  tbe  great  mass  of 
adults,  illustration  is  simply  indispensable,  if  we  would 
eitber  invest,  instruct  or  impress  tbem  ;  wbile  good  il- 
lustration is  always  acceptable  and  useful  to  bearers  of 
tbe  bigbest  talent  and  culture.  Tbe  example  of  our 
Lord  decides  tbe  wbole  question  ;  and  tbe  illustrations 
wbicb  so  abound  in  tbe  records  of  bis  preacbing  ought 
to  be  beedfuUy  studied  by  every  preacher,  as  to  tbeir 
source,  tbeir  aim,  tbeir  style,  and  tbeir  relation  to  tbe 
otber  elements  of  bis  teacbing. 

Among  tbe  Cbristian  preacbers  of  different  ages  wbo 
bave  been  most  remarkable  for  affluence  and  felicity  of 
illustration,  tbere  may  be  mentioned  Cbrysostom 
Jeremy  Taylor,  Cbristmas  Evans,  Cbalmers,  Spurgeon 
and  Beecber. 

II.     Sources  of  Illustration. 

(1.)  Observation.  It  is  pre-eminently  important 
tbat  tbe  teacber  of  religion  sbould  be  a  close  observer. 
Nature  teems  witb  analogies  to  moral  trutb,  and  we 
sbould  not  merely  accept  tbose  wbicb  force  tbemselves 
on  our  attention,  but  sbould  be  constantly  searching  for 
them. 

A  still  ricber  field,  if  possible,  is  human  life,  witb  all 
its  social  relations  and  varied  callings  and  pursuits,  its 


202  USES  OF  ILLUSTEATION.  • 

business  usages,  mechanical  processes,  etc.,  and  with  all 
its  changing  experiences.  Beecher  has  always  been 
asking  himself,  till  that  has  become  a  fixed  habit  of  his 
mind,  "  What  is  this  like  ?  What  will  this  illustrate  ?  " 
Hence  the  boundless  variety,  and  the  sparkling  fresh- 
ness of  his  illustrations  ;  and  these  form  the  chief  ele- 
ment of  his  power  as  a  preacher.  Spurgeon,  though  not 
equal  to  Beecher  in  this  respect,  and  though  accustomed 
to  draw  much  from  his  reading,  has  been  a  close  ob- 
server, too,  in  many  and  various  directions. 

The  great  mass  of  our  Lord's  illustrations  are  drawn 
from  ordinary  human  life.  The  observation  of  children 
is  particularly  profitable  to  a  religious  teacher.  Narra- 
tions of  actual  experience  of  the  religious  life^  whether 
our  own  or  that  of  others  known  to  us,  are  apt  to  be 
generally  interesting,  and  will  often,  as  cases  in  point, 
furnish  admirable  illustration.  The  great  revival 
preachers  usually  have  a  multitude  of  such  narratives^ 
drawn  from  their  observation  at  other  places,  and  they 
often  use  them  with  great  effect. 

(2.)  Pure  invention.  It  is  perfectly  lawful  to  in- 
vent an  illustration^  even  in  the  form  of  a  story,  pro- 
vided that  it  possess  versimilitude,  and  provided  that  we 
either  show  it  to  be  imaginary,  or  let  nothing  depend 
upon  the  idea  that  it  is  real.  It  seems  almost  certain 
that  some  of  our  Lord's  parables  are,  in  this  sense, 
fictitious. 

(3.)  Science,  Besides  what  is  derived  from  our  own 
observation  of  nature  and  of  human  life,  there  is  an  im- 
mense fund  of  illustration  in  science,  which,  collecting 
the  results  of  a  far  wider  observation,  classifies  and  seeks 
to  explain  them.     Much  of  the  finest  scientific  illustra- 


USES  OF  ILLUSTRATION.  203 

tion  demands  more  knowledge  of  science  than  the  great 
mass  of  hearers  really  possess. 

Now,  an  illustration  which  would  be  particularly  ac- 
ceptable and  profitable  to  a  few,  may  sometimes  be  em- 
ployed, provided  we  introduce  it  with  some  quiet 
remark,  not  saying  that  most  persons  are  unacquainted 
with  this  subject,  but  that  such  persons  as  happen  to 
have  paid  attention  to  such  or  such  a  matter,  will  re- 
member, etc.  Then  no  one  will  complain  of  our  allud- 
ing to  a  topic  of  which  he  is  ignorant. 

(4.)  History  Preachers  have  always  made  much 
use  of  illustration  from  history,  ^he  field  is  itself 
boundless,  but  is  in  practice  greatly  limited  by  the  popu- 
lar lack  of  extensive  acquaintance  with  it.  Here,  as  in 
the  case  of  science,  we  may  skilfully  introduce  what  is 
familiar  to  but  few,  and  many  often  give  briefly,  without 
ostentation,  and  in  an  interesting  manner,  the  requisite 
information.  Spurgeon  is  very  fond  of  illustrations 
from  devout  men  ;  and  Richard  Fuller  employs  all  man- 
ner of  historical  and  biographical  iQcidents,  both  secular 
and  religious,  with  rare  felicity  and  power. 

All  preachers  derive  illustration  from  the  news  of  the 
day.  Some  carry  this  too  far,  warranting  the  reproach 
that  they  "  get  the  text  from  the  Bible,  and  the  sermon 
from  the  newspapers." 

Anecdotes  are  a  valuable  means  of  illustration,  which 
some  preachers  employ  excessively  or  in  bad  taste,  but 
which  others  ought  to  employ  much  more  largely  than 
they  do.  He  who  feels  that  his  style  would  be  degraded 
by  introducing  an  anecdote,  may  profitably  inquire 
whether  his  style  be  not  too  stilted,  or  at  any  rate  too 
monotonous  in  its  sustained  elevation,  for  popular  dis- 


204  USES   OF  ILLUSTRATION. 

course.  Let  anecdotes  be  certainly  true,  if  we  present 
them  as  true,  and  let  them  be  told  without  exaggeration 
or  "  embellishments."  Let  them  not  be  ludicrous — 
thouofh  a  slisfht  tincre  of  delicate  humor  is  sometimes 
lawful — not  trivial,  and  especially  not  tedious.  And  as 
illustration  is  in  general  a  subordinate  thing  in  preach- 
ing, and  that  which  is  subordinate  should  rarely  be 
allowed  to  become  prominent,  a  preacher  should  avoid 
such  a  multiplication  of  anecdotes  in  the  same  sermon, 
or  in  successive  sermons,  as  would  attract  very  special 
attention.  A  greater  freedom,  both  as  J^o  aniount  and 
kind,  is  more  admissible  in  platform-speaking,  than  in 
those  more  grave  discourses  which  are  usually  called 
sermons.  * 

(5.)  Literature  and  Art.  Even  when  science  and 
history  have  been  excluded,  literature,  ancient  and  mod- 
ern, in  prose  and  in  verse,  covers  an  immense  field,  and 
offers  a  vast  store  of  illustrative  material.  Suggestions, 
pleasing  or  impressive  sentiments,  and  striking  express- 
ions may  be  quoted,  and  illusion  made  to  well  known 
literary  works  and  characters,  whenever  it  will  help  to 
render  the  discourse  interesting  and  useful.  Quotations 
of  poetry,  though  made  by  some  men  in  offensive  excess, 
are  employed  by  very  many  with  admirable  effect ;  and 
while  a  few  need  to  check  their  exuberance  in  this 
respect,  the  great  mass  of  mini.^ters  should  stimulate 
themselves  to  observe  and  retain  more  largely,  and  to 
use  more  freely,  any  appropriate  poetical  quotations. 
No  one  can  have  failed  to  notice  how  often  quotations 

*  Arvine's  Cyclopaedia  of  Anecdotes  is  good.  But  Bible  Illustra- 
tions are  better.  Whitecrosses  Anecdotes  Illustrative  of  Select 
Passages  are  also  valuable. 


USES  OF  ILLUSTEATION.  205 

from  hymns,  particularly  when  they  are  familiar,  add 
greatly  to  the  interest  and  impressiveness  of  a  sermon. 
Spurgeon  often  uses  these  very  effectively.  The  Pil- 
grim's Progress,  with  its  strong  sense  and  homely  sim- 
plicity, its  poetical  charm  and  devotional  sweetness,  is 
so  rich  in  the  choicest  illustration  that  every  preacher 
ought  to  make  himself  thoroughly  familiar  with  it,  and 
to  refresh  his  knowledge  again  and  again  through  life. 

Proverbs  are  a  singularly  valuable  means  of  stating 
truth  forcibly  and  impressively. 

Great  preachers  for  the  people,  such  as  have  found 
their  way  to  the  universal  heart  of  their  fellows,  have 
been  ever  great  employers  of  Proverbs*  Our  Lord  once 
expressly  employs  a  proverb,  and  repeatedly  uses  ex- 
pressions which  appear  to  have  been  proverbial.  This 
was  one  of  the  various  ways  in  which  he  sought  to  strike 
the  common  minds,  and  impress  the  popular  heart. 

(6.)  Scripture.  The  scriptures  present  materials 
of  illustration  suited  to  every  legitimate  subject  of 
preaching,  and  belonging  to  almost  every  one  of  the 
above  mentioned  classes,  especially  history  and  bi- 
ography, poetry  and  proverbs,  and  all  manner  of  pointed 
sayings.  Several  causes  combine  to  make  this  the  best 
of  all  the  "Sources  of  illustration.  The  material  is  to 
some  extent  familiar  to  all,  and  thus  the  illustration 
will  be  readily  intelligible.  Again,  this  material  will 
be  much  more  impressive  than  any  other,  because  of  its 
sacredness,  and  its  known  and  felt  relations  to  ourselves. 
Besides,  the  frequent  use  of  Scripture  illustration  serve 
to  revive  and  extend  the  knowledge  of  Scripture  among 

the  hearers. 

18 


206  USES  OF  ILLUSTEATIO:^'. 

III.     Cautions  as  to  the  Ilr)iployment  of  Illustration. 

(1.)  Do  not  use  every  illustration  that  occurs  to  you, 
nor  seek  after  them  for  their  own  sake.  The  question  is, 
whether  this  or  that  will  really  conduce  to  the  objects 
of  the  discourse,  or  make  it  more  interesting  or  impressive. 
Some  men  get  a  general  notion  that  illustration  is  a  good 
thing,  and  that  it  is  their  duty  to  employ  it,  and  they 
laboriously  bring  forward  so-called  illustrations  which 
really  effect  nothing,  and  are  therefore  but  useless  lum- 
ber. Others  who  have  a  fertile  fancy  or  a  well-stocked 
memory,  while  wanting  in  genuine  culture  and  good 
taste,  will  excessively  multiply  or  expand  their  illustra- 
tions. They  forget  that  commands  of  illustration,  like 
command  of  words,  involves  not  only  copious  production, 
but  judicious  selection  and  felicitous  adaptation. 

(2.)  As  a  general  rule,  it  is  not  well  to  talk  about 
illustrating,  but  just  to  illustrate.  If  you  can  tKrow 
the  light  vividly  on  your  subjects,  it  will  seldom  be  nec- 
essary to  give  notice  beforehand  that  you  are  about  to 
do  so. 

(3.)  Carefully  avoid  turning  attention  away  from 
the  subject  illustrated  to  the  illustration  itself  This  is 
obvious  by  a  very  grave  fault,  but  is  often  committed. 
Illustrations  stated  at  great  length,  with  high- wrought 
imagery  and  polished  phrases,  such  as  Guthrie  frequently 
employs,  will  almost  inevitably  have  this  effect ;  though 
sometimes,  as  in  the  case  of  Chalmers,  they  may  be  so 
felicitous,  and  applied  with  such  passionate  earnestness, 
that  we  at  last  forget  everything  in  the  subject  illustra- 
ted. So  many  hearers  are  caring  mainly  for  entertain- 
ments, that  it  is  a  sad  thing  if  we  divert  their  minds 
from  some  subject  they  ought  to  consider  to  the  curious 


USES   OF  ILLUSTRATION.  207 

or  admiring  examination  of  the  mere  apparatus  by  which 
we  throw  light  on  it. 

This  fault  occurs  very  frequently  in  speaking  to  chil. 
dren.  There  is  a  mere  succession  of  stories  or  pictures, 
which  teach  nothing,  impress  nothing,  and,  serve  as  idle 
entertainments,  are  nothinsf. 

Note. — The  reader  is  referred  to  Drs.  Guthrie,  Todd,  Messrs. 
Beecher,  Spurgeon,  Tallmadge,  Stuart  and  Moody,  as  examples  in 
the  use  of  Illustration. — Compiler. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
EXTEMPORANEOUS    SPEAKING. 

(authorized  extract — PREPARATION  AND  DELIVERY  OF  SERMONS.) 

Prof.  John  A.  Broadus,  D.  D.  L.L.  D. 

In  writing  and  reading  sermons  there  are  some  advan- 
tages. Such  as  ease  in  fixing  the  mind  on  the  subject, 
completness  of  preparation,  excellence  in  style  and  ease 
in  delivery.  The  sermon  can  be  used  again,  is  ready  for 
publication  and  gives  facility  in  writing. 

DISADVANTAGES   OF  WEITING. 

But  there  are  some  disadvantages.  Such  as  render- 
ing the  writer  dependent  on  such  assistance,  the  writing 
may  be  hurried  and  superficial,  it  consumes  much  time 
in  mere  mechanical  effort,  and  it  compels  the  preacher 
to  follow  out  the  plan,  when  subsequent  thought  may 
show  that  another  plan  would  be  better.  It  deprives 
the  preacher  of  the  mental  quickening  produced  by  the 
exciting  presence  and  sympathy  of  an  attentive  congre- 
gation. 

As  to  delivery  itself,  reading  is  of  necessity  less  effective^ 
and  in  most  cases  immensely  less  effective,  for  all  the 
great  purposes  of  oratory,  than  speaking.    Greater  cold- 


# 
lEXTEMPORAISrEOUS    SPEAKING.  209 

ness  of  manner  is  almost  inevitable.     If  one  attempts 
to  be  very  animated  or  pathetic  it  will  look  unnatural. 

The  tones  of  voice^are  monotonous,  or  have  a  forced 
variety.  The  gestures  are  nearly  always  unnatural, 
because  it  is  not  natural  to  s^esticulate  much  in  readinsf, 
and  they  scarcely  ever  raise  us  higher  than  to  feel  that 
this  man  reoAs  ahnost  like  speaking. 

Consider,  too,  that  the  most  potent  element  in  the 
delivery  of  a  real  orator  is  often  the  expressiveness  of 
the  eye.  Every  man  hasipft  the  marvelous,  magical,  at. 
times  almost  superhuman  power  of  an  orator's  eye.  That 
look,  how  it  pierces  our  inmost  soul,  now  kindling  us  to 
passion,  now  melting  us  to  tenderness. 

Note. — Our  Lord  looked  upon  Peter  and  he  wept  bitterly.  It  is 
thought  that  President  Finney  and  others  looked  many  sinners  into 
repentance  with  their  pathetic  piercing  eyes. — Compiler, 

Now  in  reading,  this  wonderful  expressiveness  of  the 
eye  is  interrupted,  grievously  diminished  in  power,  re- 
duced to  be  nothing  better  than  occasional  sunbeams, 
breaking  out  for  a  moment  among  wintry  clouds. 

Reading  is  merely  a  substitute  for  speaking,  and  it 
can  at  best  only  approximate,  never  fully  attain  the  same 
or  equal  effect  in  preaching.  The  habit  of  reading  is 
injurious  to  the  voice^  and  is  liable  to  greatly  embarrass 
a  minister  when  circumstances  demand  that  he  should 
attempt  to  speak  without  manuscript. 

Note. — But  if  any  man  finds  after  earnest  and  persevering  experi- 
ence, he  cannot  become  an  effective  and  acceptable  extemporizer, 
let  him  prepare  his  manuscript  in  a  larffe  legible  hand,  with  wide 
spaces  between  every  period  and  the  next  paragraph.  Then  let  the 
manuscript  be  so  thoroughly  and  repeatedly  readjust  before  entering 
the  pulpit,  that  it  can  be  delivered  freely ^  without  confining  the  eyes 
18* 


210  EXTIMPOEANEOUS   SPEAKING. 

to  anything  more  than  an  occasional  and  slight  glance  at  the  begin- 
ing  of  each  successive  paragraph. — Compiler. 

EXTEMPORANEOUS   SPEAKING  DEFINED. 

Extemporaneous  speaking  is  applied  to  cases  in  which 
there  has  been  preparation  of  the  thought,  but  the  lan- 
guage is  left  to  he  suggested  at  the  nio'inent. 

When  the  })lan  of  the  discourse  is  drawn  out  on  paper, 
and  all  the  principal  points  are  stated  or  suggested,  we 
call  it  extemporaneous  speaking,  because  all  this  is  re- 
garded only  as  a  means  of  arranging  and  recalling  the 
thoughts,  and  the  language  is  extemporized.  If  the 
brief  notes  are  before  him  in  delivery,  he  may  read 
them.  But  if  left  at  home  and  he  repeats  precisely 
their  language,  his  delivery  is  so  far  a  memoriter  recita- 
tion and  cannot  be  called  entirely  extemporaneous. 

THE  ADVANTAGES. 

(1.)  In  preparation,  this  method  accustoms  one  to 
think  more  rapidly  and  with  less  dependence  on  exter- 
nal helps,  than  if  he  habitually  wrote  in  full. 

(2.)  It  also  enables  a  man  to  spend  his  strength 
chiefly  upon  the  more  difficult  or  more  important  parts 
of  the  subject.  Says  President  Wayland  :  "  A  large 
proportion  of  our  written  discourses  is  prepared  in  a 
driving  hurry,  with  little  meditation."  If  the  same 
time  had  been  spent  in  earnest  thought  the  sermon 
would  have  been  better. 

(3.)  In  general,  this  method  saves  time  for  general 
improvement  and  other  pastoral  work,  after  he  has 
gained  facility  and  self-reliance  in  preparation. 

(4.)  In  the  act  of  delivery,  the  extemporaneous 
speaker  has  immense,  advantages.     With  far  greater 


EXTEMPORANEOUS   SPEAKING.  211 

ease  and  effectiveness  he  can  turn  to  account  ideas  which 
occur  at  the  time.  Some  of  the  noblest  and  most  in- 
spiring thoughts  he  ever  gains  will  come  while  he  is 
engaged  in  speaking.  If  full  of  his  theme  and  im- 
pressed with  its  importance,  he  presently  secures  the 
interested  and  sympathizing  attention  of  even  a  few 
good  listeners,  and  the  fire  of  his  eyes  comes  reflected 
hack  from  theirs,  till  electric  flashes  pass  to  and  fro  be- 
tween them,  and  his  very  soul  gloivs,  and  blazes,  and 
fl/imes,  he  cannot  fail  sometimes  to  strike  out  thoughts 
more  splendid  and  more  py^ecious  than  ever  visit  his 
mind  in  solitary  musing. 

(5.)  And  there  is  a  more  important  gain  than  the 
new  thoughts.  The  luhole  mass  of  prepared  material 
becomes  brightened,  warmed,  and  sometimes  transfigured 
by  this  inspiration  of  delivery, 

(6.)  Moreover,  the  preacher  can  watch  the  effect  as 
he  proceeds,  and  purposely  alter  the  forms  of  expression, 
as  well  as  the  manner  of  delivery ,  according  to  his  own 
feelings  and  that  of  the  audience.  Especially  in  the 
ho7'tatory  p)arts  of  a  sermon,  which  are  often  the  most 
important  parts,  will  their  adoption  be  desirable.  A  few 
sentences  then  striking  precisely  the  right  key  will  won- 
derfully enhance  the  effect  of  the  whole  discourse. 

(7.)  It  leads  to  more  dependence  upon  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  prayer  for  his  help  in  preaching, 

(8.)  As  to  the  delivery  itself,  it  is  only  in  extempo- 
raneous speaking,  of  one  or  another  variety,  that  this 
can  ever  be  perfectly  natural,  and  achieve  the  highest 
effect.  The  ideal  of  speaking  cannot  l)e  reached  in  any 
other   way.     Only  thus  will  the  voice,  the  action,  the 


212  EXTEMPOEAJSTIOUS   SPEAKING. 

eye,  he  just  what  nature  dictates,  and  attain  their  full 
power. 

It  is  also  an  advantage  of  this  method  that  it  gives 
facility  in  speaking  without  immediate  preparation. 

(10.)  With  the  masses  of  the  people,  it  is  the  more 
popular  method,  (while  a  small  minority  prefer  reading. ) 

DISADYA^'TAGES. 

(1.)  There  may  be  a  tendency  to  neglect  prepara. 
tion,  after  one  has  gained  facility  in  this  way.  This  is 
an  abuse  and  not  a  good  reason  for  neglecting  a  valua- 
hie  privilege. 

(2.)  There  is  difficulty  in  fixing  the  mind  upon  the 
work  of  preparation  without  writing  in  full.  This  may 
be  removed  hy  practice.  At  the  outset,  it  can  be  over- 
come either  by  making  copious  notes,  or  by  speaking  the 
subject  over  in  private. 

(3.)  The  extemporizer  cannot  quote  so  largely  as  the 
reader,  from  Scripture,  or  from  the  writings  of  others. 
But  he  is  likely  to  quote  only  luhat  is  important  to  the 
subject,  and  thus  easily  remembered. 

EEAD   QUOTATIONS. 

Where  the  quotation  of  the  language  itself  is  really 
important,  and  the  passages  long,  one  may  read  it  from 
the  Bible,  or  if  from  some  other  source,  may  lurite  it  off 
and  read  it,  expressly  as  an  important  quotation. 

(4.)  The  style  of  an  extemporaneous  sermon  is  apt 
to  be  less  condensed  and  less  finished,  than  if  it  were 
written  out  and  read.  But  this  is  not  '^necessarily  a  fault. 
The  style  may  be  all  the  better  adapted  to  speaking,  as 
distinguished  from  the  essay  style. 


EXTEMPOEAKEOES    SPEAKING.  213 

Copiousness,  amplification,  even  the  frequent  repeti. 
twn  of  a  thought  under  new  forms  or  withi  other  illws- 
tratvons,  are  often  absolutely  necessary  in  addressing  a 
popular  audience. 

In  the  case  of  definitions,  or  other  brief  passages  in 
which  the  language  becomes  especially  imjwrtant,  one 
may  fix  beforehand,  whether  with  or  without  writing, 
the  precise  terms  to  be  employed. 

(5.)  The  success  of  an  extemporaneous  sermon  is 
largely  dependent  upon  tJoe  precwlier's  feelings  at  the 
time  of  delivery,  and  upon  the  circumstances  ;  so  that 
he  is  liable  to  decided  failure.  A  man  not  capable  of 
failure  can  never  be  eloquent. 

A  method  of  preaching  which  renders  failure  impossi- 
ble, also  renders  the  greatest  itnpressiveness  impossible. 

(6.)  If  the  sermon  is  to  be  used  again,  and  has  not 
been  written  out  in  full,  it  requires  some  renewed  pre- 
paration.  But  this  too  is  rather  a  profit  than  a  loss ; 
for  thus  the  discourse  can  be  more  easily  and  exactly 
adapted  to  the  new  circumstances.  And  then  the  neces- 
sity for  reworking  the  prejDaration  makes  it  all  fresh  to 
the  preacher's  mind,  and  warm  again  to  his  heart.  So 
the  extemi^oraneous  method  does  make  the  repeated  use 
of  the  same  sermon  more  laborious,  but  it  also  serves  to 
make  it  much  mm'e  efi'ective. 

(7.)  Still  another  disadvantage  is  its  tendency  to 
prevent  ones  forming  the  habit  of  writing. 

Note — This  evil  may  be  readily  obviated  bj'  -vrriting  carefully  in 
full,  one  sermon  a  week,  or  occasionallj^  and  delivering  it  if  thought 
expedient,  in  eases  where  the  preacher  needs  it,  or  many  of  the 
intelligent  portion  of  the  congregation  prefer  it. — Compiler. 

All  the  disadvantages  of  extemporaneous  speaking  can 


214         EXTEMPOEANEOUS  SPEAKING. 

be  obviated  by  resolute  and  judicious  effort,  while  read- 
ing has  many  inherent  disadvantages,  which  may,  of 
course  be  more  or  less  diminished,  but  can  never  be  re- 
moved. 

The  born  speaker  will  be  able  to  overcome  the  diffi- 
culties of  extemporaneous  speaking,  and  will  find  here, 
and  here  alone  free  play  for  his  powers. 

GENEEAL   AND   SPECIAL  PEEPAEATIONS  FOE  EXTEM- 
POEANEOUS  PEEACHING. 

(Health.) 

The  preacher  should  be  careful  of  his  health,  not  only 
on  other,  accounts,  but  because  speaking,  real  speaking, 
demands  a  high  degree  of  nervous  energy^  and  power  of 
endurance.  Many  a  noble  sermon  is  spoiled  by  the  fact 
that  the  preacher  begins  to  flag  physicially  towards  the 
close,  and  can  neither  feel  high  wrought  emotion,  nor 
speak  with  passion  and  power. 

(Language.) 

Great  attention  ought  to  be  given  to  the  use  of  Ian. 
guage,  in  ordinary  writing  and  conversation.  There 
should  be  the  habit  of  seeking  the  most  exact  terms, 
and  of  constructing  sentences  which  shall  be  grammatical 
and  yet  simple  and  easy.  In  order  to  speak  well  some- 
times, it  is  necessary  to  speak  well  always. 

(Begin  immediately.) 
A  young  preacher  who  wishes  to  extemporize  ought  to 
begin  at  once.  If  extemporaneous  preaching  is  best  if 
properly  practiced,  the  young  minister  should  begin  im- 
mediately to  learn  to  extemporize.  He  should  begin  at 
once  what  he  intends  to  make  the  habit  of  his  life. 


SXTEMPOEANEOUS    SPEAKING.  215 

(  Arrrangermnt.) 

The  extemporaneous  preacher  must  carefully  arrange 
his  sermon,  according  to  the  natural  order  of  the 
thoughts,  and  then  he  will  have  no  difficulty  in  remem- 
bering. 

The  sermon  must  not  wander  at  will  on  the  subject, 
but  have  its  distinct  and  luelL'^naThed points,  and  advance 
steadily  from  one  to  another. 

In  both  these  respects,  what  helps  him,  will  also  help 
the  hearer.  Whether  it  has  any  formal  division  or  not, 
a  popular  address  should  always  have  points.  And  it 
is  one  advantage  of  extemporaneous  speaking,  that  it 
compels  to  such  an  arrangement.  If  now  one  has 
stretching  before  him  a  well-defined  track  of  thought, 
divided  hy  natural  land-marks  into  distinct  sections, 
he  can  diverge  from  it  upon  occasion  and  return  without 
difficulty. 

(Matter.) 

Says  Alexander :  "  Never  make  the  attempt  to  ex- 
temporize without  being  sure  of  your  matter.  Of  all 
the  defects  of  utterance,  the  niost  serious  is  having  noth- 
ing to  say. 

NOTES   SELDOM    IN  THE  PULPIT. 

If  a  preacher  makes  notes  in  preparing  as  it  is  usually 
best  to  do,  he  ought  in  general,  not  to  carry  them  into 
the  pulpit.  Particular  subjects  and  modes  of  treatment 
may  sometimes  make  this  desirable. 

(Reviewing,) 

But  in  general  one  should  take  time  enough  before- 
hand, to  get  matter  of  the  sermon  in  solution  in  his 
mind,  so  that  it  flow  freely,  and  get  the  track  he  is  to 


216  EXTEMPORANEOUS    SPEAKING. 

follow  SO  clear  to  his  mental  vision,  that  he  can  flash  a 
single  glance  from  beginning  to  end  of  it. 

Great  benefit  too  will  be  derived  from  this  necessity  of 
going  thorough  over  the  prepared  matter  shortly  before 
preaching,  for  thus  the  mind  and  heart  become  kindled, 
and  brought  into  sympathy  with  the  particular  subject 
treated.  Sometimes  the  very  words  ought  to  be  fixed 
beforehand.  This  applies  generally  to  definitions,  fre- 
quently to  transitions,  and  sometimes  to  images,  such  as 
must  be  presented  with  precision  and  elegance,  or  they 
will  be  worse  than  nothing. 

Passages  of  Scripture  which  are  to  be  quoted,  or  other 
proposed  quotations,  should  be  gone  over  in  the  mind 
during  the  immediate  preparationf  that  there  may  be 
no  blundering  or  hesitation. 

Arrange  the  discourse  with  great  care,  and  again  and 
again  think  through  the  whole,  making  no  effort  to  retain 
the  words  (same  as  to  definitions,  etc.)  but  getting  the 
thoughts,  and  their  succession,  perfectly  familiar.  Speak 
it  over  in  the  study,  or  in  the  forest  may  be  profitable. 
Then  pray  for  help  and  go  forward,  and  facility  will 
rapidly  increase. 

(Don't  stop,) 

In  actual  preaching  if  you  forget  what  you  meant  to 
say  next,  do  not  stop.  Nothing  is  so  awkward  as  a  dead 
pause,  and  the  awkwardness  increases  in  geometrical 
ratio  to  the  seconds  of  time.  8ay  something ,  repeat,  re- 
capitulate, talk  at  random  even  anything  rather  than 
stop. 

REMEDY  FOR  EMBARRASSMENT. 

Note. — If  in  beginning  to  practice  extemporaneous  preaching, 
there  is  a  deficiency  of  courage  and  self-rehant  composure  let  the 


ESTEMPORANEOUS    SPEAKING.  217 

larger  portion  of  the  sermon  be  written  carefully,  and  read  freely, 
while  there  may  be  some  vacancy  at  the  termination  of  the  several 
heads  or  points,  for  suggestive  words,  for  additional  thoughts  and 
illustrations,  to  be  improved  by  brief  extemporaneous  delivery. 

It  will  be  like  the  young  eaglet  indulging  in  short  flights .  in  his 
first  attempts,  until  he  gains  confidence  and  strength  for  more  exten- 
ded excursions  on  the  wing.  And  profitable  experience  may  be 
gained  by  continued  and  repeated  extempore  addresses,  well  pre- 
pared for  the  familiar  lecture  exposition  and  exhortation  in  the 
lecture  room  and  cenference  meeting. 

Let  all  then  be  encouraged  to  improve  in  this  method,  knowing 
that  it  is  absolutely  essential  to  any  great  success  in  promoting  revi- 
vals of  religion ,  and  to  the  highest  rewards  of  those  who  turn  many 
to  righteousness. 

PRIMITIVE   PREACHING. 

It  is  commonly  believed  that  the  preaching  of  Christ  and  the 
Apostles  was  without  notes. 

It  seems  strongly  probable  if  not  certain  that  the  early  Fathers  of 
the  Church  composed  and  delivered  their  sermons  without  writing. 

And  why  may  we  not  presume  that  a  return  to  their  custom  in 
some  approved  form,  adapted  to  our  present  advanced  exigences, 
might  serve  in  some  measure  to  secure  the  promised  help  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  reviving  primitive  piety  in  the  churches,  and  the  special 
help  needed  in  preaching,  so  as  to  render  the  modern  pulpit  more  effi- 
cient in  ''  power  with  God  and  with  men  ?  "  For  the  Holy  Ghost  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  it  is  said  distributed  '^  fiery  tongues  and  not 
pens. ' ' —  Compiler » 
19 


CHAPTEE  XXXV. 
APPLICATION. 

(ArTHORlZED  EXTRACTS — PREPARATION  AND  DELIVERY  OF  SERMONS.) 

Prof.  John  A.  Broadus,  D.  D.  L.L.  D. 

The  application  in  a  sermon  is  not  merely  an  append- 
age to  the  discussion,  or  a  subordinate  part  of  it,  but  is 
the  main  thing  to  be  done.  Spurgeon  says :  "  Where 
the  application  begins,  there  the  sermon  begins,''  We 
are  not  to  speak  before  the  people,  but  to  them,  and 
must  earnestly  strive  to  make  them  take  what  we  say 
to  themselves.  Daniel  Webster  once  said,  and  repeated 
it  with  emphasis  :  "  When  a  man  preaches  to  me  I  want 
him  to  make  it  a  personal  matter,  a  personal  matter,  a 
personal  matter  1  ' '  And  it  is  our  solemn  duty  thus  to 
address  all  men,  whether  they  wish  it  or  not. 

The  sermons  of  Jonathan  Edwards,  with  all  their 
power,  show  the  evil  of  having  always  a  regular  "  appli- 
cation," formally  announced  or  indicated.  Often  a  brief 
and  informal  application  is  best.  Often,  too,  it  is  better 
not  to  reserve  the  application  for  the  latter  part  of  the 
discourse,  but  to  apply  each  thought  as  it  is  presented, 
provided  they  all  conspire  towards  a  common  result. 


a:^plication.  219 

The  term  application  is  in  general  somewhat  loosely 
employed  in  regard  to  preaching,  for  it  includes  two  or 
three  distinct  things.  Besides  the  application  proper, 
in  wtiich  we  show  the  hearer  how  the  truths  of  the  ser- 
mon apply  to  him,  and  besides  the  frequent  practical 
suggestions  as  to  the  best  mode  and  means  of  perform- 
ing the  duty  urged,  there  is  also  commonly  included  all 
that  we  denote  by  the  terms  "persuasion"  and  "ex- 
hortation." But  if  the  ideas  conveyed  are  kept  distinct, 
it  is  probably  better  to  retain  the  term,  with  which  all 
preachers  and  hearers  are  so  familiar. 

The  application  proper  is  often  effected  by  means  of 
"  inferences  "  or  "  remarks ^  The  former  must  not  be 
theoretical  or  general  deductions  from  the  truths  pre- 
sented, but  must  really  give  to  those  truths  a  practical 
hearing. 

But  the  chief  part  of  what  we  commonly  call  appli- 
cation is  persuasion.  It  is  not  enough  to  convince  men 
of  truth,  nor  enough  to  make  them  see  how  it  applies  to 
themselves,  and  how  it  might  be  practicable  for  them  to 
act  it  out — but  we  must  "persuade  men."  A  distin- 
guished minister  once  said  that  he  could  never  exhort ; 
he  could  explain  and  prove  what  was  truth  and  duty, 
but  then  he  must  leave  people  to  themselves.  The  apos- 
tle Paul,  however,  could  not  only  argue,  but  could  say  : 
"  We  pray  you,  in  Christ's  stead,  be  ye  reconciled  to 
God."  Do  we  not  well  know,  from  observation  and  from 
experience,  that  a  man  may  see  his  duty  and  still  neglec^ 
it  ?  Have  we  not  often  been  led  by  persuasion  to  do 
something,  good  or  bad,  from  which  we  were  shrinking  ? 
It  is  proper,  then,  to  persuade,  to  exhort,  even  to  entreat. 

Persuasion  is  not  generally  best  accomplished  by  a 


220  APPLICATION.    . 

mere  appeal  to  the  feelings,  but  by  urging,  in  the  first 
place,  some  motive  or  motives  for  acting,  or  determin- 
ing to  act,  as  we  propose.  This  is  not  properly  called  a 
process  of  argument.  The  motive  presented  may  require 
previous  proof  that  it  is  sosnething  true,  or  right,  or  good, 
but  this  proving  is  distinct  from  the  act  of  presenting  it 
as  a  motive  ;  and  if  when  bringing  a  motive  to  bear  we 
have  to  prove  anything  concerning  it,  the  proof  ought  to 
have  great  brevity  and  directness,  or  it  will  delay  and 
hinder  the  designed  effect. 

A  preacher  must  of  course  appeal  to  none  but  worthy 
motives.  The  principal  motives  he  is  at  liberty  to  use 
may  be  classed  under  three  heads,  viz  :  happiness,  holi- 
ness, love. 

We  may  lawfully  appeal  to  the  desire  for  happiness. 
Those  philosophers  who  insist  that  man  ought  always  to 
do  right  simply  and  alone  because  it  is  right,  are  no  phi- 
losophers at  all,  for  they  are  either  grossly  ignorant  of 
human  nature,  are  else  are  indulginsx  in  mere  fanciful 
speculation.  No  doubt  some  preachers  err  in  that  they 
treat  happiness  as  the  almost  exclusive,  at  any  rate  as 
the  chief  motive.  Certainly  this  should  always  be  sub- 
ordinated to  duty  and  affection  ;  but  when  thus  subor- 
dinated, it  is  a  legitimate  and  a  powerful  motive.  The 
Scriptures  appeal  not  only  to  our  feelings  of  moral  obli. 
gation  but  to  our  hopes  and  fears  for  time  and  for 
eternity.  "  It  is  profitable  for  thee,"  is  a  consideration 
which  the  Great  Teacher  repeatedly  employs  in  encour- 
aging to  self  denial.  A  desire  for  the  pleasures  of  piety 
in  this  life,  or  even  for  the  happiness  of  Heaven,  would 
never,  of  itself  alone,  lead  men  to  become  Christians, 
or  strengthen  them  to  live  as  such  ;  but  combined  with 


APPLICATION.  22 1 

other  motives,  it  does  a  great  and  useful  work.  And 
there  is  here  included  not  only  the  pleasure  to  be  de- 
rived from  gratification  of  appetite  and  passion,  but  of 
taste,  and  of  ambition. 

All  men  desire  holiness,  at  least  in  one  sense  of  the 
term,  though  they  often  wish  it  united  with  sinful  grati- 
fications. The  most  abandoned  man  sometimes  wishes 
to  be  good,  nay,  persuades  himself  that  in  certain  re- 
spects he  is  good  ;  and  the  great  mass  of  mankind  fully 
intend,  alter  indulging  a  little  longer  in  sinful  pleasure, 
to  become  thoroughly  good  before  they  die.  Here  then 
is  a  great  motive  to  which  the  preacher  may  appeal. 
The  thorough  depravity  of  human  nature  should  not 
make  us  forget  that  goodness  can  always  touch  at  least 
a  faintly  responsive  chord  in  the  human  breast.  We 
ought  to  hold  up  before  men  the  beauty  of  holiness,  to 
educate  the  regenerate  into  doing  right  for  its  own  sake, 
and  not  merely  for  the  sake  of  its  rewards.  We  ought 
to  stimulate,  and  at  the  same  time  control,  that  hatred 
of  evil,  which  is  the  natural  and  necessary  counterpart 
to  the  love  of  holiness.  And  as  regards  the  future  life, 
we  should  habitually  point  men,  not  only  to  its  happi- 
ness, but  still  more  earnestly  to  its  purity,  and  strive  by 
God's  blessing  to  make  them  long  after  its  freedom  from 
all  sin  and  from  all  fear  of  sinning.  Such  noble  and 
ennobling  aspirations  it  is  the  preacher's  high  duty  and 
privilege  to  cherish  in  his  hearers,  by  the  very  fact  of 
appealing  to  them.  And  the  mightiest  of  all  motives  is 
love.  In  the  relations  of  the  present  life,  love  is  the 
great  antagonist  of  selfishness. 

But  our  task  is  not  merely  the  calm  exhibition  of  mo- 
tives, that  men  may  coolly  act  according  to  them.    Many 
19* 


222  APPLICATION. 

truths  of  religion  are  eminently  adapted  to  stir  the  feel- 
ings, and  to  speak  of  such  truths  without  feeling  and 
awakening  emotion,  is  unnatural  and  wrong.  And  so 
mighty  is  the  opposition  which  th<?  Gospel  encounters  in 
human  nature,  so  averse  is  the  natural  heart  to  the 
obedience  of  faith,  so  powerful  are  the  temptations  of 
life,  that  we  must  arouse  men  to  intense  earnestness  and 
often  to  impassioned  emotion,  if  we  would  bring  them 
to  surmount  all  obstacles,  and  to  conquer  the  world,  the 
flesh,  and  the  devil. 

It  is  a  matter  of  universal  observation  that  a  speaker 
who  would  excite  deep  feeling  must  feel  deeply  hhnself. 

In  order  to  excite  any  of  the  passions  b}^  speech,  we 
have  to  operate  chiefly  through  the  imagination,  "  A 
passion  is  most  strongly  excited  by  sensation.  The  sight 
of  dangler,  immediate  or  near,  instantly  rouseth  fear ; 
the  feeling  of  an  injury,  and  the  presence  of  the  in- 
jurer,  in  a  moment  kindle  anger.  Next  to  the  influ- 
ence of  sense  is  that  of  memory,  the  effect  of  which 
upon  passion,  if  the  fact  be  recent  and  remembered  dis- 
tinctly and  circumstantially,  is  almost  equal.  Next  lo 
the  influence  of  memory  is  that  of  imagination."  In 
proportion  as  the  hearer's  imagination  is  kindled,  he 
seems  to  see  that  which  we  present,  and  the  effect  upon 
his  feelings  approximates  to  the  effect  of  sight. 

Comparison  is  often  very  effective  in  awakening  emo. 
tion.  Thus  we  make  men  feel  more  deeply  how  shameful 
is  ingratitude  to  God,  by  first  presenting  some  affecting 
case  of  ingratitude  to  a  human  benefactor.  The  emo- 
tion excited  by  something  as  regards  which  men  feel 
readily  and  deeply,  is  transferred  to  the  object  com- 
pared.    E.  g.  *'  Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children,  'so 


APPLICATION.  223 

the  Lord  pitietli  them  that  fear  him."  The  effect  of 
climax,  gradually  working  the  feelings  up  to  the  highest 
pitch,  may  also  be  very  great,  as  every  one  has  observed. 
We  must  not  try  to  be  highly  impassioned  on  all  sub- 
jects, on  all  occasions,  or  in  all  parts  of  a  discourse. 
Appeals  to  the  feelings  will  usually  be  made  only  at 
the  conclusion ;  sometimes,  after  the  discussion  of  each 
successive  topic,  but  then  we  must  be  sure  that  the  in- 
terest first  excited  can  be  renewed,  and  gradually 
increased.  It  is  a  common  fault  with  inexperienced 
preachers  to  make  vehement  appeals  in  the  early  part, 
even  in  the  very  beginning,  of  a  sermon ;  in  such  cases 
there  will  almost  inevitably  be  a  reaction,  and  a  decay 
of  interest  before  the  close.  If  several  impassioned 
passages  are  to  occur,  those  which  come  first  should  be 
comparatively  brief,  and  followed  by  something  calm  or 
familiar.  It  is  also  important  to  avoid  exhausting  our 
physical  force,  before  reaching  that  portion  of  the  ser- 
mon which  calls  for  the  most  passionate  earnestness.  He 
who  is  exhausted  not  only  cannot  speak  forcibly,  but 
cannot  feel  deeply.  And  a  concluding  exhortation  should 
never  be  prolonged  beyond  the  point  at  which  the 
preacher  is  still  in  full  vigor,  and  the  hearers  feel  a 
sustained  interest. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

EXTEMPORE    SERMONS. 

(authorized  extracts.— the  officb  and  work  of  the  christian  ministry.) 

By  Prof.  James  M.  Hoppin. 

There  is,  without  doubt,  a  wide-spread  impression  that 
something  is  greatly  wanting  in  our  preaching,  and  that 
there  is  a  decided  demand  for  more  of  practical  effect, 
iveness,  simplicity  and  common  interest,  in  this  part  of 
divine  service. 

No  thought  or  logic  qan  make  up  for  the  lack  of 
that  which  excites  a  real  interest  in  the  audience. 

Would  not  the  more  general  cultivation  of- the  extem- 
poraneous style  of  sermonizing  tend  to  make  preaching 
more  natural,  free,  and  popularly  interesting  ? 

It  is  certainly  well  for  the  younger  ministers  to  hear 
the  mutterings  of  the  coming  storm,  and  direct  their  at- 
tention to  this  inquiry. 

Many  preachers,  who  have  produced  the  profoundest 
results,  have  been  extempore  preachers  ;  these  have  been 
preachers  like  Whitefield,  Nettleton,  Spurgeon,  and 
Newman  Hall. 

(1.)     Extempore  preaching  stimulates  the  preacher. 


EXTEMPORE    SERMONS.  225 

It  makes  him  a  quick  thinker.  It  goads  him  by  the 
presence  and  sympathy  of  an  expectant  audience.  It 
often  originates  new  thoughts  of  living  power  that  could 
not  have  come  into  the  mind  in  the  calm  silence  of  the 
study. 

(2.)  It  breaks  up  a  stiff  artificial  style.  He  who  is 
a  true  preacher,  must  mount  the  pulpit  and  speak  even 
as  on  the  day  of  Pentecost — fiery  tongues,  not  writing 
pens,  fell  from  Heaven  on  the  apostles.  He  learns  in 
this  way  to  express  himself  in  a  direct  'manner. 

(3.)  It  is  adapted  to  produce  immediate  effect.  It 
makes  the  speaker  thus  to  feel  the  pulse  of  an  audience, 
to  meet  its  exact  wants.  It  gives  the  impression  that 
one  is  really  talking  to  the  audience  before  him,  and  to 
no  other. 

Hence,  extemporaneous  preaching  is  peculiarly  adap. 
ted  to  times  of  revivals  ;  and  it  is  a  strong  argument  in 
its  favor,  that  it  does  unconciously  take  the  place  of  other 
methods  in  times  of  real  urgency. 

(4.)  It  has  Tnore  of  outward  and  inward  freedom. 
It  gives  play  to  the  eye,  the  arm,  the  finger,  the  whole 
body,  so  that  the  whole  man  becomes  an  instrument  of 
God's  Spirit  to  speak  through  men.  Then  speech  is  elec 
trie;  then  there  can  be  eloquence.  There  is  a  kind  of 
inspiration,  which  at  favored  moments,  comes  upon  true 
preachers,  in  which  they  do  become  the  mouth-pieces  of 
God's  Spirit. 

We  will  give  a  few  practical  hints  on  extempore 
speaking, 

(a.)     Train  yourself  to  think  luithout  writing. 

Q>.)     Think  through  the  subject  beforehand.     Never 


226  EXTEMPORE    SERMONS. 

trust  to  the  inspiration  of  the  moment  for  the  solid  parts 
of  the  discourse — the  main  ideas,  the  arguments,  the 
proofs,  the  conclusion.  These  should  be  thoroughly  ar- 
ranged in  the  mind. 

(c.)  Prepare  beforehand,  either  mentally  or  on  papers 
the  actual  wording  of  your  main  proposition  and  the 
principal  divisions,  and  perhaps  of  some  of  the  most  im- 
important  passages.  It  may  be  recommended  indeed  to 
some  beginners  to  combine  the  tivo  methods  of  the  writ- 
ten and  exte'inporaneous  sermon ;  i.  e.,  to  write  a  good 
portion  of  the  sermon,  the  body  of  the  sermon,  and  trust 
the  rest  to  the  utterance  of  the  moment.  The  illustra- 
tions, for  example,  may  be  given  extemporaneously,  and 
will  gain  decidedly  in  freedom,  vividness  and  life. 

(d.)  Cultivate  the  faculty  oifree  and  correct  expres- 
sion. 

(e.)  Make  a  beginning  at  once.  Eloquent  speaking 
is  gained  by  always  working  and  straining  for  the  power 
of  free  and  forceful  utterance. 

(/;)     Do  not  choose  too  easy  or  familiar  subjects. 

{g.)  Look  above  the  opinion  of  men  upon  your 
preaching.  Have  courage  and  think  more  of  duty  than 
reputation. 

(Ji.)  Mingle  the  written  and  extemporaneous  onethods. 
Let  one  preach  a  turitten  sermon  in  the  morning,  and 
an  extemporaneous  one  in  the  afternoon,  and  let  him 
never  think  of  writing  out  his  weekly  lectures  or  other 
public  addresses. 

(i.)  Cultivate  oratoi^ical  delivery.  Here  elocution 
is  of  great  importance.  The  extern porizer  should  acquire 
a  clear,  distinct  articulation,  rising  and  falling  naturally 


EXTEMPORE    SERMONS.  227 

with  the  thought;  varied  and  yet  even;  neat  and  yet 
capable  of  feeling,  and  of  vehement,  rending  force  ;  and 
above  all,  free  from  tones  of  earthly  passion,  and  breath- 
ing pure,  holy  spiritual  emotions 

Those  who  would  influence  the  age  must  think  quickly 
and  act  boldly.  We  are  bound  to  try  every  method,  to 
strain  every  nerve,  to  be  preachers  equal  to  the  demands 
of  the  tiniey  and  to  sieze  its  opportunities.. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIL 
THE     CONCLUSION. 

(AUTHORIZED  BXTRjLCTS.— THE  OFFICE  AND  WORK  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  MINISTRY.) 

By  Prof.  James  M.  Hoppin. 

The  conclusion  of  a  sermon  is  the  fit  winding  up  and 
the  practical  application  of  all  that  has  preceded.  It  is 
not  really  the  sermon  itself,  but  is  the  taking  leave  of 
the  subject  in  such  a  way  -as  to  gather  up  and  forcibly 
impress  its  teachings.  It  is  indeed  a  great  thing  to 
know  when  to  stop.  Many  an  effective  sermon  has  been 
greatly  weakened  by  drawing  out  its  conclusion  to  too 
great  length. 

The  importance  and  advantages  of  a  good  conclusion 
are  seen  in  the  following  reasons  : — 

1.  It  enables  the  preacher  to  carry  out  the  true  idea 
of  preaching ;  i.  e.,  to  give  a  practical  application  to 
what  he  preaches,  directing  it  to  the  conscience  and 
heart  of  his  hearers.  The  end  of  preaching  is  the  actual 
conversion  and  sanctification  of  souls.  There  may  be, 
however,  exceptions  to  the  rule  that  the  application 
should  come  in  the  conclusion,  (a.)  When,  from  the 
nature  of  the  discussion,  there  is  necessarily  a  contin- 
uous application  in  the  body  of  the  sermon.    (6.)  When, 


THE  CONdLUSION.  229 

frorrb  the  nature  of  the  audience  or  the  occasion,  there  is 
necessarily  a  continuous  application  of  the  subject. 

But,  notwithstanding  these  exceptions,  a  good  con- 
clusion is  needed  to  enforce  the  moral  impression  of  a 
whole  sermon ;  and  in  the  case  of  a  strictly  topical  and 
argumentative  discourse,  it  is  almost  without  exception 
essential. 

2.  It  combines  the  scattered  impressions  of  a  sermon 
into  one  powerful  impression,  and  thus  adds  to  the 
effect  of  whatever  has  gone  before.  The  skilful  preacher 
understands  this,  and  shapes  his  whole  sermon  so  as  to 
make  the  conclusion  effective,  and  to  leave  a  deep  im- 
pression at  last. 

3.  It  preserves  the  sensibilities  of  preacher  and 
hearer  from  being  exhausted.  It  does  this  by  retaining 
all  the  freshness  and  force  of  feeling  for  the  final  ap- 
peal. 

In  modern  times,  and  especially  in  the  sermon,  the 
conclusion,  rhetorically  treated,  is  commonly  divided 
into,  I.  Recapitulation;  2.  Applications,  inferences ^ 
and  remarks ;  3,  Appeal  to  the  feelings,  or  personal  ap- 
peal. Each  of  these,  or  all  combined,  may  form  the 
conclusion. 

1.  Recapitulation.  This  can  be  borne  only  by  a 
decidedly  argumentative  discussion,  and  it  is  borrowed 
from  forensic  address.  That  kind  of  recapitulation  often 
increases  the  power  of  a  discourse  by  compressing  its 
substance  into  a  small  space.  It  should  not  repeat  ar- 
guments  in  precisely  the  same  language  as  that  era- 
ployed  in  the  body  of  the  sermon^  but  should  be  cast  in  a 
fresh  form. 

2.  Applicatory  inferences  and  remarks.     "  Infer- 

20 


230  THE  CONCLUSIOlJf. 

ences  are  logical  deductions  from  the  argument;  re- 
marks are  natural  suggestions  drawn  from  it."  Taken 
both  together,  they  indicate  the  use  which  is  made  of 
the  subject  immediately  after  the  discussion.  They 
form  a  method  of  making  the  direct  application  of  the 
arguments. 

As  to  rules  for  inferences:  — 

1 .  They  should  he  drawn  directly  from  the  whole 
character  and  developTnent  of  the  sermon.  Thus  in  the 
argumentative  sermon,  after  we  have  given  the  hearers 
a,  view  of  the  proofs,  we  may  in  the  application  bring 
home  the  truth  that  has  been  proved,  more  particularly 
to  the  hearers'  own  minds  ;  we  follow  out  the  same  de: 
sign  we  have  heretofore  pursued. 

In  the  expository  sermon,  we  may  close  with  the  uses 
and  lessons  we  have  gained,  as  applied  to  the  different 
conditions  of  our  hearers.  In  the  persuasive  sermon, 
there  should  be  at  the  end  a  more  close  application  of 
the  motives  as  directed  to  the  particular  action  to  which 
we  would  persuade  men. 

2.  They  should  be  forcible,  and  drawn  from  the  body 
of  the  sermon.  As  a  general  rule,  it  is  more  forcible  to 
make,  in  the  conclusion,  a  final  concentration  upon  one 
point  which  has  been  more  widely  discussed  and  illus- 
trated in  the  body  of  the  sermon,  rather  than  to  make  a 
final  diffusion  of  thought,  or  widening  out  of  the  discus- 
sion into  general  remarks. 

3.  Jhey  should  have  regard  to  the  character  and 
states  of  mind  of  the  hearers^  as  well  as  to  the  character 
and  design  of  the  subject ;  e.  g.,  when  the  hearer  is 
reasonably  supposed  to  be  persuaded  of  the  truth  or 
necessity  of  a  certain  duty,  he  should  then  be  told  how 


THE  CONCLUSION.  231 

to  perform  that  duty,  and  should  be  helped  to  overcome 
its  difficulties. 

Remarks  relating  to  truth  or  conviction  should  precede 
those  respecting  duty  or  persuasion.  And  in  persuasion 
we  should  address  those  first  who  are  most  favorably 
disposed,  and  therefore  ceteris  paribus  we  should  ad- 
dress  the  converted  before  the  unconverted. 

In  the  application  there  is  more  occasion  for  vehe- 
mence and  force  than  in  any  other  part. 

3.  Appeal  to  the  feelings.  There  are  usually  three 
modes  of  ending  a  sermon  :  (a.)  In  the  form  of  a  series 
of  inferences  as  just  suggested  ;  (6.)  In  the  form  of 
detached  observations  following  generally  biographical 
and  historical  subjects ;  (c.)  In  the  form  of  direct  ad- 
dress or  appeal,  which  follow  out  the  aim  of  the  sermon, 
or  are  appended  directly  to  the  body  of  the  discourse. 
In  this  direct  address  is  generally  tlae  place  for  the  ap. 
peal  to  the  feelings. 

This  address  to  the  feelinfjs  is  something  above  all 
art,  and  the  more  spontaneous  and  natural  it  is  the  bet- 
ter. That  is  often  the  inspired  moment  of  the  discourse ; 
it  is  inspired  or  not ;  it  is  real  or  artificial  ;  it  is  every^ 
thing  or  nothing.  There  should  be  true  feeling  in  it,  or 
the  speaker  should  not  attempt  an  appeal  to  the  feelings 
of  others. 

» 

1.  The  whole  sermon  should  he  more  or  less  arranged 
for  the  inoral  and  emotional  effect  of  the  conclusion. 
This  should  be  unconsciously  rather  than  artfully  done. 
All  should  hasten  to  the  end.  One  should  begin  the 
sermon  with  the  end  in  view.  He  should  strike  the 
same  chord  at  the  end  which  he  did  at  the  beginning, 


232  THE   CONCLUSION. 

thoug^h  with  tenfold  force.  If  one  has  this  aim  to  leave 
a  deep  and  lasting  impression  on  the  heart  of  the  hear- 
ers, pathetic  and  passionate  tli^-efi-^'^  win  present  them- 
selves wmie  lie  is  composing  the  sermon.  These  should 
be  remembered  and  gathered  up  for  the  conclusive 
appeal. 

2.  The  appeal  should  not  he  for  rhetorical',  hut  for 

true  effect. 

3.  All  appeals  to  feeling  should  he  hrief.  For  the 
real  close  itself,  so  far  as  the  feelings  are  concerned, 
nothing  is  more  impressive  and  moving  than  a  feeling, 
solemn  passage  of  the  Scripture,  either  the  text  or  some 
other  perhaps  still  more  pointed  word  of  Scripture. 
Then  the  sermon  begins  and  ends  with  the  word  of  God. 

A  return  now  and  then  to  the  old  method  of  direct 
appeal  to  the  impenitent,  at  the  close  of  the  sermon, 
might,  in  some  cases,  be  deeply  effective. 

As  a  suggestion  in  closing  a  sermon,  let  the  preacher 
be  hind  in  his  words  and  manner  ev^en  to  the  wickedest 
and  worst.  In  the  moment  of  the  most  solemn  adjura- 
tion, or  even  burning  rebuke  and  denunciation,  let  the 
tender  afFectionateness  of  the  gospel  glow.  This  per- 
sonal appeal  in  all  cases  is  difficult,  and  is  often  better 
to  be  indicated  than  actually  made  ;  but  there  should 
be,  directly  or  indirectly,  with  boldness,  but  in  love,  a 
personal  application  of  the  sermon  ;  and  there  may  be 
times  when  nothing  else  is  suitable,  or  nothing  will 
reach  the  point,  excepting  the  words  of  Nathan  to 
David,  "  Thou  art  the  man  !  "  Love  in  'the  heart  will 
teach  us,  and  it  alone  will  teach  us,  how  to  reach  the 
hearts  of  our  sinful  fellow-men. 


THE   CONCLUSION.  233 

Let  the  preacher  keep  in  mind  that  the  end  of  preach- 
ing is  not  preaching  itself,  but  a  lodgment  of  the  reno- 
vating truth  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  hear ;  in  the 
language  of  Vinet,  "  God  has  purposed  that  man  should 
be  the  channel  of  truth  to  man.  Not  only  are  words  to 
be  transmitted  and  repeated ;  a  life  is  to  he  corri' 
mnnicatedy 

20* 


CHAPTER.  XXXVIII. 

HOW   TO    OBTAIN    AND    RETAIN    THE   ATTEN- 
TION   OF    OUR   HEARERS. 

(AUTHORIZED  IXTRACTS.) 

Rev.  0.  IT.  Spurgeon." 

We  ought  to  interest  all  the  audience,  from  the  eldest 
to  the  youngest.  We  ought  to  make  even  children  at- 
tentive. We  want  all  eyes  fixed  upon  us  and  all  ears 
open  to  us. 

You  must  secure  your  people's  undistracted  thoughts, 
turning  them  out  of  the  channel  in  which  they  have 
been  running  six  days  into  one  suitable  for  the  Sabbath. 

Frequently  it  is  very  difficult  for  congregations  to 
attend^  because  of  the  place  and  the  atmosphere. 

The  next  best  thing  to  the  grace  of  God  for  a  preacher 
is  oxygen.  Pray  that  the  windows  of  Heaven  may  be 
opened,  but  begin  by  opening  the  windows  of  your 
meeting-house. 

Bad  air  makes  me  dull,  and  my  hearers  dull  too.  A 
gust  of  fresh  air  through  the  building  might  be  to  the 
people  the  next  best  thing  to  the  gospel  itself,  at  least 
it  would  put  them  in  a  fit  frame  of  mind  to  receive  the 
truth. 


HOW  TO  OBTAIN  THE  ATTENTION  OE  HEAREES.      235 

What  next  ?  In  order  to  get  attention,  the  first  golden 
rule  is,  ahuays  say  soinething  worth  hearing.  Most 
persons  possess  an  instinct  which  leads  them  to  desire  to 
hear  a  good  thing.  Give  your  hearers  something  which 
they  can  treasure  up  and  remember ;  something  likely 
to  be  useful  to  them,  the  best  matter  from  the  best  of 
places,  solid  doctrine  from  the  divine  Word.  Do  it, 
brethren.  Do  it  continually,  and  you  will  have  all  the 
attention  you  can  desire. 

Let  the  good  matter  which  you,  give  them  he  vei^ 
clearly  arranged.  Be  sure,  moreover  to  speak  plainly ; 
because,  however  excellent  your  matter,  if  a  man  does 
not  comprehend  it,  it  can  be  of  no  use  to  him.  Go  up 
to  his  level  if  he  is  a  poor  man ;  go  down  to  his  under- 
standing- if  he  is  an  educated  person. 

Let  your  hearts  indite  a  good  matter,  clearly  arranged 
and  plainly  put,  and  you  are  pretty  sure  to  gain  the  ear, 
and  so  the  heart. 

Attend  also  to  your  m^anner  of  address ;  aim  in  that 
at  the  promotion  of  attention.  And  here  I  should  say, 
as  a  rule  do  not  read  your  sermons.  If  you  must  read, 
mind  that  you  do  it  to  perfection.  Be  the  very  best 
of  readers,  and  you  had  need  to  be  if  you  would  secure 
attention. 

In  order  to  gef  attention,  make  your  manner  as  pleas, 
ing  as  it  can  possibly  be.  Do  not,  for  instance,  indulge 
in  monotones.  Vary  your  voice  continually.  Vary  your 
speed  as  well — dash  as  rapidly  as  a  lightning  flash,  and 
anon,  travel  forward  in  quiet  majesty.  Shift  your  accent, 
move  your  emphasis,  and  avoid  sing-song.  Vary  the 
tone ;  use  the  bass  sometimes,  and  let  the  thunders  roll 
within ;    at  other  Jtimes  speak  as    you  ought  to  gene- 


236     HOW  TO  OBTAIN  THE  ATTENTION  OF  HEABERS. 

rally — from  the  lips,  and  let  your  speech  he  conversa- 
tional. Anything  for  a  change.  Human  nature  craves 
for  variety,  and  God  grants  it  in  nature,  providence  and 
grace  ;  let  us  have  it  in  sermons  also. 

As  a  rule,  do  not  make  the  introduction  TOO  LONG.  It 
is  always  a  pity  to  build  a  great  porch  to  a  little  house. 
The  introduction  should  have  something  striking  in  it. 
It  is  well  to  fire  a  startling  shot  as  a  signal  gun  to  clear 
the  decks  for  action. 

If  you  want  to  have  the  attention  of  your  people — to 
have  it  thoroughly  and  always,  it  can  only  he  accorrim 
plished  hy  their  heing  led  hy  the  Spirit  of  God  into  an 
elevated  and  devout  state  of  mind. 

Be  interested  yourself,  and  you  will  interest  others. 
And  then  when  your  hearers  see  that  the  topic  'has  en- 
grossed you,  it  will  by  degrees  engross  them. 

Do  you  wonder  that  people  do  not  attend  to  a  man 
who  does  not  feel  that  he  has  anything  important  to 
say  ?  Have  something  to  say,  and  say  it  earnestly,  and 
the  congregation  will  be  at  your  feet. 

It  may  be  superfluous  to  remark  that  for  the  mass  of 
our  people  it  is  well  that  there  should  he  a  goodly  num" 
her  of  illustrations  in  our  discourses.  We  have  the 
example  of  our  Lord  for  that :  and  most  of  the  greatest 
preachers  have  abounded  in  similes,  metaphors^  alle- 
gories, and  anecdotes.  But  beware  of  overdoing  this 
business. 

In  your  sermons  cultivate  what  Father  Taylor  calls 
"  the  surprise  power.* ^  There  is  a  great  deal  of  force  in 
that  for  winning  attention.  Do  not  say  what  everybody 
expected  you  would  say.  Brethren,  take  them  at  una- 
wares.    Let  your  thunderbolt  drop  out  of  a  clear  sky. 


HOW  TO  OBTAIN  THE  ATTENTION  OF  HEAEERS.     237 

When  all  is  calm  and- bright  let  the  tempest  rush  up, 
and  by  contrast  make  its  terrors  all  the  greater. 

A  very  useful  help  in  securing  attention  is  a  pause. 

On  a  sultry  Summer's  day,  if  nothing  will  keep  off 
the  drowsy  feeling,  he  very  shoi't,  sing  more  than  usual. 

Again,  we  must  tnake  the  people  feel  that  they  have 
an  interest  in  what  loe  are  saying  to  them. 

Preach  upon  practical  themes,  pressing,  present,  per- 
sonal matters,  and  you  will  secure  an  earnest  hearing. 

I  will  now  give  you  a  diamond  rule,  and  conclude. 

Be  yourself  clothed  tuith  the  spirit  of  God. 

You  have  golden  chains  in  your  mouth  which  will 
hold  them  fast. 

"  He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear." 


CHAPTER   XXXIX. 

POETRY   IN    THE   PULPIT. 

(CONGREGATIONALIST.) 

By  Ret.  H.  M.  Grout. 

A  good  lady,  both  devout  and  intellectual,  once  said 
to  me  :  "  If  I  were  a  preacher  I  should  cultivate  the 
poets,  and  should  make  a  more  frequent  use  of  poetical 
quotations  than  most  ministers  do."  The  remark  has 
suggested  some  thoughts  upon  a  subject  which  has  al- 
ready  been  aired  in  certain  quarters,  but  upon  which  it 
is  easy  to  say  more.  I  refer  to  the  use  of  poetry  in  the 
pulpit,  for  which  a  variety  of  reasons  occur  to  me* 
Some  of  these  may  strike  the  reader  as  of  less  gravity 
than  the  rest,  but  altogether  they  will  be  acknowledged 
to  have  a  good  deal  of  weight. 

1st.  In  the  first  place,  a  judicious  use  of  poetical 
quotations  is  to  be  commended  as  rendering  pulpit  dis- 
courses more  pleasing  and  impressive.  There  is  na  merit 
in  pulpit  dryness.  A  proper  amount  of  adornment  does 
not  weaken  the  power  of  the  truth.  That  kind  of  adorn, 
ment  under  consideration  is  particularly  agreeable  to 
persons  of  aesthetic  natures  and  literary  tastes.  We 
have  observed  that,  to  sentimental  young  ladies,  extracts 


POETRY  IN  THE  PULPIT.  239  '■ 

from  the  poets  are  far  more  pleasing  than  those  from 
Jonathan  Edwards,  Jeremy  Taylor,  or  Josephus.  To 
preachers  afflicted  with  poverty  of  thought,  there  could 
not  be  a  more  admirable  resort,  when  other  expedients 
have  failed  of  arresting  attention.  It  gives  the  preacher 
a  chance  to  show  what  elocutionary  studies  and  exer- 
cises have  done  for  him.  To  all  this  may  be  added  the 
considerations  that  an  appropriate  quotaltion  may  be 
made  use  of  to  fix  a  thought  in  the  memory ;  to  deepen 
its  immediate  impressiveness ;  and  to  kindle  devout 
emotions. 

2d.  Then,  to  quote  poetry  one  must  read  poetry. 
This  improves  aesthetic  faculty;  strengthens  and- en- 
riches the  imagination  ;  is  a  restful  and  exhilarating 
change  from  severer  studies  ;  and  is  of  particular  ad- 
vantage not  only  in  the  formation  of  a  graceful  and 
rhythmic  style,  but  in  the  acquisition  of  copiousness ; 
if  not  of  ideas,  at  least  of  fitting  words  for  their  expres- 
sion. The  two  mental  powers  of  especial  importance  to 
the  composer  of  sermons,  are  that  of  analysis,  by  means 
of  which  one  is  able  to  divide,  sub-divide,  and  trace  into 
its  several  branches  the  central  thought  to  be  expanded, 
and  that  of  imagination,  which  clothes  what  would 
otherwise  be  a  dry  skeleton  with  living  flesh ;  what 
would  otherwise  be  a  leafless  tree  with  rich  and  beau- 
tiful foliage.  Scientific,  theological,  and  similar  studies 
improve  the  former,  poetry  the  latter. 

3d.  In  the  third  place,  it  should  be  said  that  a  very 
liberal  use  of  poetry  in  the  pulpit  may  be  a  means  of 
grace.  This  is  quite  likely  to  be  the  case  when  the 
preacher  discovers  that  half  a  dozen  lines  from  some 
hymn  of  the  ages  have  quite  overshadowed,  in  the  hear- 


240  POETEY  IN  THE  PULPIT.  . 

ers  mind,  all  the  good  things  he  has  tried  to  spread  over 
a  dozen  or  twenty  pages.  When  an  enthusiastic  hearer 
remarks  to  the  minister,  as  he  descends  from  the  pulpit : 
"  That  was  a  lovely  quotation  you  gave  us  this  morn- 
ing," he  is  to  be  blamed  if  he  does  not  go  home  a 
humbler  and  a  better  man. 

It  is  hardly  the  thing  to  conclude  these  thoughts  with- 
out an  attempt  to  illustrate  the  excellence  of  the  prac- 
tice advocated ;  which  I  do  by  quoting,  in  the  way  of  an 
apology  for  so  brief  treatment  of  so  high  a  theme,  the 
words  of  a  distinguished  master  of  noble  English  verse  : 

*♦  Man  wants  but  little  here  below. 
Nor  wants  that  little  long." 


CHAPTER  XL. 

FORCE    IN    THE    PULPIT. 

[authokizeb  exteact.— bib.  sac] 
Pres.  Wm.  a.  Stearns,  D.  D. 

The  leading  quality  of  eloquence,  and  that  which 
expresses  its  combined  elements-  in  one  word  is  rOECE. 
We  sB,y  force,  rather  than  earnestness,  for  while  we  can- 
not be  forceful  without  earnestness,  we  may,  through 
lack  of  wisdom,  be  earnest  without  force. 

Let  us  illustrate  this  quality  by  examples  both  secu- 
lar and  sacred,  and  then  show  some  of  the  principles 
on  which  it  depends. 

Begin  with  Homer.  The  Iliad,  though  an  epic  poem, 
is  everywhere  alive  with  oratory.  Its  speeches  are  of 
course  the  creations  of  the  poet,  yet  they  are  unquestion- 
ably conceived  in  the  spirit  of  ancient  eloquence,  and 
become  realities  to  the  vivid  imagination  of  the  blind 
old  bard.  They  are  clear,  rapid,  concentrated,  wisely 
directed,  irresistible  utterances.  They  burst  out  like 
lava  from  a  volcanic  mountain,  pouring  down  in  rivers 
of  fire.  They  always  have  an  end,  a  meaning,  an  object, 
and  never  forget  that  "  a  straight  line  is  the  shortest 
distance  between  two  points. 
/  21 


242  FOECB  IN  THE  PULPIO:^. 

Demosthenes  was  the  very  personification  of  force.  In 
the  oration  for  the  crown,  which  Bossouet  has  somewhere 
pronounced  the  greatest  work  of  the  human  mind,  and 
of  which  Cicero  says  :  "  that  in  this  oration  for  Ctesiphon, 
where  the  orator  speaks  of  his  own  deeds,  councils  and 
merits  in  respect  to  the  republic,  the  ideal  is  filled,  so 
that  no  higher  eloquence  can  be  required,"  in  this  ora- 
tion for  the  crown,  we  say  force  is  the  predominating 
quality.  In  this  master-piece  of  oratory,  genius  and 
judgment,  logic  and  passion,  vehemence  and  self-control, 
combine  like  so  many  chemical  elements,  to  produce 
that  livid  intense  heat,  by  which  rock  is  melted  and  iron 
is  consumed. 

Cicero  himself  was  like  the  Amazon,  great  in  all  its 
windings,  and  on  the  whole  the  broadest,  largest,  mighti- 
est river  in  the  world.  But  Demosthenes  was  one  whole 
Niagara  whose  awful  thundering  flood  nothing  could  re- 
sist. At  the  same  time  Cicero  excelled  most  if  not  all 
other  orators  in  those  very  attributes  which  made  De- 
mosthenes super-eminent.  At  the  close  of  his  great 
orations,  he  gathers  his  arguments  and  thoughts  into  one 
mass  which  by  ardor  of  emotion,  he  kindles  into  a  de- 
vouring flame.  It  was  this  intenseness  of  feeling,  especi- 
ally in  the  peroration,  to  which  he  attributes  principally 
his  success. 

In  our  own  country,  we  need  but  mention  Patrick 
Henry  and  Fisher  Ames,  as  illustrations  of  the  power 
which  earnest  feeling  combined  with  wisdom  gives  to 
speech.  Nor  is  one  of  our  modern  orators  an  exception. 
With  a  mind  expansive  as  the  globe,  fertile  as  the  coun- 
try whose  constitution  he  defended,  solid  and  massive  as 
the  granite  of  his  native  state,  his  wise  positions,  his  clear 


FORCE  IN  THE  PULPIT.  243 

logic,  bis  compact  thought,  his  burning  spirit,  mani- 
fest in  the  eye,  the  cheek,  the  hand,  the  whole  body, 
gave  to  his  eloquence  a  ]Dower  before  which  enemies 
quailed,  and  under  the  influence  of  which  men  some- 
times held  their  breath,  or  shouted  with  involuntary 
applause.  The  leading  characteristic  of  Webster's  elo- 
quence was  force. 

We  pass  from  secular  oratory  to  the  pulpit.  But  here 
let  it  be  premised  that  force  is  not  vehemence  alone. 
There  is  force  in  the  still  small  voice,  as  well  as  in  the 
earthquake.  That  which  produces  conviction,  that  which 
deeply  affects  the  feelings,  that  which  moves  to  action 
partakes  of  this  excellence. 

Christian  oratory  demands  its  sons  of  consolation  as 
well  as  its  sons  of  thunder.  Pathos  and  unction,  so<C 
rarely  seen  or  required  in  the  senate,  have  their  proper 
throne,  in  the  sacred  desk.  The  Christian  religion  is 
characterized  less  by  vehemence  than  by  tenderness.  It 
appeals  indeed  to  all  the  powers  of  the  human  mind.  It 
affords  o^jportunity  for  cool  statement  and  reasoning,  for 
awful  sublimities,  for  gorgeous  descriptions,  for  utter- 
ances of  chilling  horror ;  it  does  not  forbid  sometimes  a 
chastened  wit,  but  its  favorite  theme  is  ' '  that  dear  blood 
for  sinners  spilt,  which  shows  my  sin  in  all  its  guilt." 
This  is  the  key  note  of  that  holy  psalm  which,  sweet  as 
the  harps  of  angels,  more  softly  sad  than  the  dirge  of 
Mozart,  is  to  be  sounded  out  from  Calvary's  cross  through 
all  the  world. 

Wiiitefield  belonged  to  two  continents.  He  had  a 
deep  experimental  perception  of  gospel  truth,  and  an 
almost  infinite  sense  of  its  importance.  He  saw,  or 
thought  he  saw,  the  English  and  American  churches 


244  FORCE  IN  THE  PULPIT. 

reposing  on  the  pillows  of  a  dead  orthodoxy,  or  in  the 
freezing  slumbers  of  a  delusive  Arminianism.  The  doc- 
trines of  regeneration,  and  justification  by  faith  alone 
had  to  a  great  extent  faded  out  of  view.  He  looked 
upon  our  congregations  as  in  immediate,  fearful  danger. 
He  looked  upon  the  cross  of  Christ  as  the  only  refuge. 
He  felt  the  great  truths  of  our  religion,  as  almost  no 
other  man  ever  did.  To  him  they,  were  an  ever  present 
reality  He  thought  himself  raised  up  to  enforce  them  ; 
they  were  as  a  fire  in  his  bones  till  he  spoke.  With  great 
majesty  and  persuasiveness,  he  went  forth  as  a  divinely 
commissioned  messenger  to  announce  the  wrath  and 
mercy  of  God.  At  one  moment  he  stands  by  the  roar- 
ing flames  of  hell  and  cries,  Flee,  flee,  flee  O  sinner, 
flee  1  at  another  by  the  cross,  crying.  Come,  come,  come 
poor  sinner,  come  !  He  united  the  courage,  the  judg- 
ment, and  the  passions  essential  to  a  perfect  popular 
orator,  and  by  a  complete  self-abandonment  to  his  work, 
and  to  its  appropriate  emotions,  he  became. the  onost 
effective  of  preachers. 

Our  own  great  Edwards  was  eloquent,  but  in  a  dif- 
ferent way.  His  mind  was  of  crystal  clearness,  acute, 
logical,  ratiocinative,  ardent.  His  convictions  of  truth 
were  as  decided  as  Whitefield's.  He  was  more  solid,  if 
possible  more  solemn,  soul-searching,  and  soberly  earn- 
est. But  he  had  not  that  power  of  appealing  to  all  the 
passions  of  men  in  popular  address.  He  wrote  his  ser- 
mons and  confined  himself  to  his  notes.  But  he  went 
on  uncovering  men's  hearts,  bringing  out  evil  from  the 
deepest  recesses ;  exhibiting  the  hideousness  of  sin  in 
the  magnifying  glass  of  truth  ;  arresting  the  guilty  and 
arraying  them    before   the  judgment   seat   of  Christ ; 


F02CE  IN  THE  PULPIT.  245 

painting  heaven  above  and  hell  burning  beneath,  and 
wretched  sinners  suspended  by  a  hair  over  its  horrors  ; 
till  a  whole  assembly  on  one  occasion  rose  and  stood 
pale  and  trembling,  ready  to  exclaim,  where,  O  where 
shall  guilty  souls  find  refuge  ! 

We  have  not  time  to  proceed  further  in  our  illustra- 
tions of  force,  or  the  power  of  real,  unaffected,  heartfelt 
but  wisely  managed  earnestness.  We  see  that  it  is  the 
soul  of  eloquence,  and  are  now  prepared  to  inquire  more 
particularly  on  what  it  depends. 

It  depends  first,  and  as  a  prerequisite,  especially  in 
this  country,  upon  a  well  trained  and  well  disciplined 
mind. 

In  any  attempt  to  enforce  divine  truth,  it  is  the 
preacher's  business,  first  to  convince  the  understanding. 
Error  must  be  opposed,  its  walls  must  be  assailed  and 
shattered  by  the  hard-headed  battering  rams  of  logic. 
Sound  doctrine  must  be  presented,  shown  up,  proved. 
The  reasoner  must  be  reasoned  down,  the  arguer  must 
be  out-argued,  the  questioner  mightily  convinced,  and 
the  caviller  silenced. 

But  here  force  requires  condensation  and  concentra- 
tion. Two  or  three  invincible  arguments  clearly,  fully 
stated,  without  redundance  of  detail  or  of  qualification, 
and  expressed  in  the  fewest  possible  words,  will  com- 
plete the  work  of  conviction  in  the  minds  of  a  popular 
audience,  better  than  long- continued  processes,  or  in- 
numerable feebler  proofs.  Whatever  force  there  may 
be,  over  here  and  there  a  highly  disciplined  mind,  in 
conclusions  arrived  at,  after  wearisome  and  tortuous 
wanderings   through   the   labyrinths   of    a    thoroughly 

metaphysical  discourse,  the  mass  of  the  people    will 
21* 


246  FORCE  IN  THE  PULPIT'. 

neither  be  edified  nor  convinced.  They  must  have 
argument,  but  it  must  be  clear,  invincible,  and  so  brief, 
that  the  media  of  proof  can  be  seen  from  beginning  to 
end,  and  recollected.  This  is  the  preaching  which  cap- 
tures the  strong  common-sense  intellect  of  an  American, 
and  prepares  the  way  for  those  effects  which,  based  on 
solid  and  well  remembered  argument,  rouses  to  action 
the  powerful  energies 'of  his  mind. 

Next  to  argument  comes  passion.  From  the  cooler 
region  of  the  understanding  we  descend  to  the  heart, 
and  by  metaphor,  by  imagination,  by  emotion,  we  kindle 
our  foregoing  logic  into  a  flame.  When  the  machinery 
and  everything  else  is  in  readiness,  the  steam,  which  has 
been  gradually  rising  and  condensing,  is  made  to  press 
upon  the  wheels  of  discourse  and  set  it  in  rapid  motion, 
But  here  there  is  a  point  to  be  reached,  there  is  an  end 
to  be  obtained. 

We  should  never  commeuce  our  journey  till  we  know 
where  we  are  going  to.  Let  the  exordium  and  perora. 
tion  of  a  discourse  stand  over  against  each  other  like  the 
two  continents  at  Beering's  Straits,  with  one  or  both  of 
which  always  in  sight,  while  you  cross  as  soon  as  prac- 
ticable the  intermediate  sea  of  discussion,  and  complete 
the  voyage. 

With  this  clear  perception  of  the  whole  subject,  force 
requires  a  deep  sense  of  its  importance,  with  correspond- 
ing self-forgetfulness  and  abandonment  to  its  power.  He 
who  attempts  eloquence  for  the  sake  of  being  eloquent, 
or  securing  a  reputation  for  oratory,  or  gaining  applause, 
may  be  sure  of  failure  and  of  deserved  contempt.  Let 
no  man  speak  till  he  has  something  to  say.  We  must 
have  a  subject,  and  deeply  feel  our  subject,  and  try  to 


.ss^' 


I^OECE  IN  THE  PULPIT*.  247 

impress  not  ourselves  but  our  subject  upon  our  bearers. 
Even  the  stage-player  must  enter,  for  the  time  being, 
into  the  character  be  assumes.  He  must  he  frenzied 
Lear,  maddened  by  the  ingratitude  of  his  daughters ;  or 
thoughtful  Hamlet,  shaken  in  spirit  by  his  mother's 
crime  and  troubled  by  his  father's  ghost.  We  must 
sincerely  feel  what  we  say,  and  never  think  to  excite 
emotions  in  others  which  we  do  not  experience  ourselves. 

"If  you  wish  me  to  weep,  you  must  first  weep  yourself; 
then  will  your  misfortunes  grieve  me,  O  Telephus  or 
Peleus  ;  but  if  you  speak  badly  things  commanded  or  on 
commission,  I  shall  either  sleep  or  laugh." 

Robert  Hail  may  have  been  constitutionally  ambitious. 
But  by  self-discipline  and  by  the  power  with  which  his 
gigantic  intellect  grappled  an  important  truth,  Robert 
Hall  became  distinguished  for  the  manifest  absorption 
of  self  in  the  greatness  of  his  subjects.  And  this  was 
one  secret  of  his  power.  It  was  not  so  much  the  dissent- 
ing minister  of  Cambridge  that  Brougham  and  Jeffries 
ran  to  hear,  as  it  was  truth  itself,  moving  in  measured 
cadences,  with  irresistible  cogency  of  argument,  authority 
and  emotion,  right  onward  to  its  results. 

And  why  should  not  the  preacher  abandon  himself  to 
his  subject  ?  In  whose  presence  does  he  speak  ?  First, 
in  the  presence  of  the  Almighty,  whose  minister  he  is. 
Second,  in  the  presence  of  miserable  men  whom  he  is 
commissioned  to  accuse.  Third,  of  Jesus  Christ  who 
suffered  death  for  them  all  and  whose  mercy  he  is  to 
announce  and  enforce  !  Consider  the  awful  circumstan- 
ces in  which  he  speaks — heaven  glittering  from  afar,  hell 
rumbling  beneath,  sinners  hesitating,  the  time  for  decis- 
ion  coming  to  an  end!    iCan  one  think  of  self,  of  his 


248  f  ORCE  IN  THE  ?ULPI^. 

reputation,  of  the  applause  his  demonstrations,  his 
fiorures,  his  balanced  sentences,  his  fine  intonations  are 
to  secure  ?  Shall  he  sue  for  flattery,  or  canvass  for  votes, 
or  shrink  from  the  breath  of  censure  ?  Remember  he  is 
the  minister  of  God  Almighty  to  the  dying  men  whom 
he  addresses. 

In  this  connection  we  see  the  necessity  of  faith.  We 
speak  of  it  now  not  as  an  essential  to  salvation,  but  as 
a  requisite  to  Christian  eloquence.  When  religious  truth 
fades  out  of  view,  when  themes  of  eternity,  as  awful 
verities,  cease  to  stir  the  soul,  something  insincere,  arti- 
ficial, unreal,  is  suggested  to  the  hearer,  and  the  speaker 
finds  himself  lifeless  and  inefficient.  Unbelief  relaxes 
the  nerves  of  oratory,  and  makes  one  an  empty  declaimer, 
instead  of  a  powerful  preacher.  It  requires  the  elec- 
tricity of  faith  to  produce  sons  of  thunder. 

It  was  this  firm  faith  in  the  scriptural  revelations, 
this  vivid  realization  of  the  spiritual  and  the  unseen, 
although  of  course  never  disconnected  from  divine  influ- 
ence, that  gave  the  simple  hearted  Brainerd  such  irre- 
sistible power  over  the  sons  of  the  wilderness.  Paul 
always  spoke  of  eternal  things  as  one  who  knew,  and 
prophets  uttered  their  terrific  maledictions,  and  foretold 
coming  glories^with  the  conviction  of  a  conscious  certainty. 
Grasp  the  truth  with  the  simple  but  gigantic  faith  of  a 
patriarch  ;  live  in  the  atmosphere  of  the  invisible  when 
its  night  stars  beam  steadily  upon  the  soul ;  converse 
with  God  like  old  John  Bunyan,  like  the  reformer  Knox, 
like  the  puritan  Shepard ;  penetrate  eternity,  by  a  living 
confidence  in  its  revelations  ;  looking  up  steadfastly  into 
Heaven,  like  the  martyr  Stephen,  see  Jesus, — and  there 


rOECE  IN  THE  PULPIT.  249 

will  be  an  earnestness,  a  reality,  a  power  which,  if  at- 
tended also  with  appropriate  evidences,  few  can  resist. 

The  force  of  speech  depends  also  upon  personal  char, 
acter.  The  ancients  had  a  maxim,  that  no  one  could  be 
eloquent  but  a  good  man.  This  is  especially  true  of  the 
pulpit.  How  can  one  recommend  goodness,  earnestly, 
powerfully,  successfully,  and  for  a  series  of  years,  unless 
he  possesses  it  ?  How  can  he  impress  upon  us  the  beauty 
of  holiness,  the  bliss  of  harmony  and  communion  with 
God,  the  infinite  value  of  the  crucifixion,  the  tenderness 
of  Jesus,  unless  he  has  experienced  it  ? 

In  order  to  successful  pulpit  eloquence,  (we  speak 
now  only  in  reference  to  oratory,)  the  orator  must  at 
least  seevfi  good  ;  and  the  only  way  to  seem  good,  taking 
life  together,  is  to  be  so. 

Some  of  the  conditions  have  been  stated,  on  which  the 
power  of  the  pulpit  depends,  such  as  a  well  trained  and 
well  furnished  mind,  including  continued  study,  both  of 
a  general  and  particular  character ;  a  clear  perception 
of  one  whole  subject,  with  precise  statements,  conclusive 
demonstrations,  and  earnest  conclusions ;  a  deep  feeling 
of  the  importance  of  what  is  delivered  with  self-forgetful - 
ness  in  the  utterance  of  truth  and  self-abandonment  to 
its  power ;  also  faith,  judgment  and  character. 

It  remains,  in  conclusion,  and  as  a  stimulus  to  effort, 
that  we  allude  to  some  of  the  motives  by  which  the 
American  pulpit  excites  its  orators  to  a  fulfillment  of 
their  mission. 

These  are  found  in  the  truth,  in  its  author,  and  in  its 
objects. 

In  the  truth.  Every  Christian  minister  is  an  apostle 
of  the  truth.     His  commission  is  the  highest  ever  given. 


250  FOECE  IN  THE  PULPIT. 

"Is  there  a  nobler  work  of  God  in  the  souls  of  men," 
.says  Herder,  "  than  the  divine  thoughts,  impulses,  aims, 
and  energies  which  he  sometimes  imparts  to  one  chosen 
man  for  the  cultivation  of  a  thousand  ?  "  ^'  God  himself 
is  truth,''  says  Milton,  "in  propagating  which,  as  men 
display  a  greater  integrity  and  zeal,  they  approach  nearer 
to  the  similitude  of  God,  and  possess  a  greater  portion  of 
his  love.''  And  a  wiser  than  Herder,  a  more  sublime 
than  Milton,  exclaims  :  "  How  beautiful  upon  the  moun- 
tains are  the  feet  of  him  that  bringeth  good  tidings, 
that  publisheth  peace,  that  bringeth  good  tidings  of  good, 
that  publisheth  salvation,  that  saith  unto  Zion  thy  God 
reigneth."  As  ministers  of  Christ,  we  are  e'ntrusted 
with  that  whose  value  the  whole  material  creation  does 
not  equal.  We  are  brought  into  partnership  with  God. 
As  he  spake  stars  and  suns  into  existence  by  his  word ; 
so  as  co-workers  together  with  him,  we  are  to  create,  in 
the  souls  of  men,  new  heavens  and  new  earths,  wherein 
dwelleth  righteousness. 

There  is  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  This  is 
the  nerve,  the  energy,  the  soul  of  the  true  Christian 
orator.  Its  influence  will  often  come  upon  him,  and 
while  he  utters  the  Spirit's  truth,  as  revealed  in  the 
holy  word,  he  will  preach  with  the  Spirit's  demonstra- 
tion and  the  Spirit's  power  ;  for  it  is  not  he  that  speaks,- 
but  his  Father  that  speaketh  in  him. 


.^ 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

PREACHING:— MANNER   AND    MATTER, 

(authorized  extbact8.) 
By  Rev.  John  Hall,  D.  D. 

We  must  pre-sjippose  on  the  part  of  those  who  will 
be  preachers,  good  personal  character — ^goodm^ral  quali- 
ties— especially  sincerity,  mtegrity,  uprightness,  truth- 
fulness, goodness.  Any  good  preacher  must  give 'the 
impression  that  the  man  is  greater  than  any  thing  he 
says ;  that  behind  what  he  utters  to  the  people  there  is 
the  great  and  noble  personality  of  the  man,  that  gives 
weight  and  force  to  what  he  says.  A  bullet  thrown  out 
of  the  human  hand  will  have  comparatively  little  power ;  ^ 
but  let  there  be  a  cannon  behind  that  bullet,  and  the.  ■ 
explosive  force  of  powder,  and  it  will  crush  or  penetrate. 
And  the  personal  character  of  the  man  behind  the  things 
that  he  utters  to  the  people  must  give  them  momentum 
and  penetrating  power.  Even  a  heathen  could  see  that 
one  of  the  necessary  qualifications  to  a  good  orator  is, 
that  he  be  a  good  man.  Emphatically  must  this  be  the 
case  with  the  Christian  orator  who  would  speak  the  truth 
as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  win  men  to  purity  and  goodness. 

Over  and  above  personal  piety  in  preparation  for  the 


■•^/^y  t./ 


u<. 


252     PREACHING  : — MANNER  AND  MATTER. 

work  of  preaching,  when  a  man  goes  to  preach  a  partic- 
ular sermon,  it  seems  to  me  that  special  preparation  for 
that  occasion  is  essentially  necessary.  1  think  I  ought  to 
emphasize  this  statement. 

For  a  particualar  discourse,  at  any  time,  in  order  that 
that  discourse  may  be  thorough  and  effective,  there  must 
needs  be  special  preparation.  I  do  not  mean  by  that,  that 
every  time  a  minister  is  to  conduct  a  service  he  must  neces- 
sarily prepare  a  new  sermon  for  that  service.  I  mean 
that  if  he  is  to  preach  well,  he  must  make  a  special  and 
peculiar  preparation  for  that  special  service.  If  a  man 
says  to  himself,  "  Well,  I  have  a  general  knowledge  of 
this  subject,  and  1  shall  talk  to  the  people  of  my  knowl- 
edge of  it,"  you  may  be  reasonably  sure  he  will  not 
produce  a  very  edifying  discourse.  That  which  is  foun- 
ded upon  mere  general  knowledge  will  be  so  usually 
general  in  its  character  as  to  produce  no  particular  re- 
sults. It  will  be  like  those  general  invitations  that  are 
sometimes  given,  that  are  not  supposed  to  involve  any 
particulars.  If  any  one  says  to  me  :  "  Come  and  see 
me  some  time,"  I  shall  not  be  very  likely  to  go;  but  if 
a  person  says :  "Come  and  see  me  at  four  o'clock  next 
Tuesday,"  he  fixes  upon  something  distinct  and  definite, 
and  the  chances  are  that  I  shall  go.  And  that  is  just 
the  difference  between  the  general  talks  that  are  foun- 
ded on  general  knowledge,  and  a  distinct  and  specific 
preparation  made  for  a  distinct  and  specific  occasion.  I 
do  not  now  speak  only  from  what  I  have  known  by  ex- 
perience ]  1  speak  of  what  I  have  heard  from  many  men 
who  have  made  it  their  business  to  study  how  best  to 
impress  their  fellow-creatures,  when  I  say,  that  with 
very  rare  exceptions,  a  man  never  speaks  to  his  fellow- 


PEEACHING  : — MANNER   AND   MATTER.  253 

creatures  with  genuine  and  thorougli  effect  but  as  the 
result  of  preparation.  In  some  cases  he  is  recalling  and 
repeating  what  he  has  prepared  upon  previous  occasions  : 
then  he  is  utilizing  his  past  resources  ;  but  the  addresses 
that  are  founded  upon  mere  general  understanding  of 
particular  subjects,  as  a  rule  are  comparativly  ineffec- 
tive, and  in  the  end  become  tiresome. 

This  brings  me  to  the  question.  How  should  men  make 
their  preparations  for  the  preaching  of  a  sermon  ?  He 
would  make  a  very  great  mistake,  it  seems  to  me,  who 
would  lay  down  any  cast-iron  rule  for  all  men  upon  this 
subject.  There  are  diversities  of  tastes,  gifts,  and  apti- 
tudes ;  and  some  men  work  remarkably  well  in  one  way 
who  would  fail  in  another. 

Note. — The  author  refers  here  merely  to  preparation  for  extem- 
poraneous preaching. — Compiler. 

There  is  a  way,  and  when  I  mention  that  this  is  the 
way  recommended  by  the  late  Dr.  James  W.  Alexander, 
a  man  of  the  finest  taste  and  the  richest  Christian  ex- 
perience, you  will  see  that  it  deserves,  at  least,  a  passing 
notice  at  your  hands.  It  is  the  plan  of  carefully  think- 
ing out  what  a  man  should  say,  and  definitely  arranging 
the  thoughts,  and  writing  them  out,  not  necessarily  with 
verbal  accuracy  and  precision,  but  so  that  all  the 
thought  will  be  represented  to  the  man's  own  eye,  mak- 
ing his  preparation  thorough  in  this  way,  and  then, 
barely  fixing  in  his  mind  the  illustrations  and  argu- 
ments, to  go  to  the  pulpit  and  talk  over  to  the  people  as 
well  as  he  knows  how,  in  the  languaore  that  the  moment 
supplies,  what  he  has  prepared  in  this  way  in  his  study. 
The  thing  is  hardly  worth  mentioning,  but  that  is  the 

way  \ipon  which,  for  my  own  part,  I  have  been  working 
22 


254  PEEACHING  : — MANNER   AND  MATTER. 

now  for  twenty.five  years,  and  all  my  own  experience  is 
in  favor  of  it.  It  consists  simply  in  thinking  out  the 
matter  as  clearly  as  one  can,  and  writing  down  all  the 
thoughts,  so  that  they  can  be  produced  at  any  future 
time,  if  necessary  ;  fixing  the  order  of  argument  and 
illustration  in  the  mind,  taking  no  heed  of  the  words  ; 
and  then  proceeding  to  the  pulpit  and  talking  over  to 
the  people  what  has  thus  been  prepared  and  fixed  in  the 
way  I  now  mention. 

"  Now,"  says  some  one  with  reference  to  that  plan, 
*'  what  can  be  the  possible  use  of  writing — what  is  the 
good  of  it  ?  "  A  very  proper  question,  and  it  ought  to 
be  answered.  I  shall  tell  you  exactly  how  it  strikes 
myself ;  I  cannot  speak  for  others.  In  the  first  place,  it 
has  the  great  advantage  of  enabling  a  man  to  know  with 
some  tolerable  clearness  whether  he  has  anything  to  say 
or  not.  In  England  they  have  specie,  as  you  know. 
A  man  may  have  in  his  pocket  a  whole  handful  of  coins, 
and  feeling  them  with  his  hand,  he  may  persuade  him- 
suade  himself  that  he  is  tolerably  well  off — sovereigns, 
half-crowns,  and  pence  will  all  feel  and  sound  very  much 
alike  in  his  pocket ;  but  if  he  takes  out  a  handful  of 
money  and  spreads  it  out,  and  looks  at  it,  then  he  sees 
just  how  "much  he  has.  It  is  barely  possible  that  the 
copper  may  greatly  predominate  over  the  silver  or  the 
gold.  Just  so  I  feel  in  the  matter  of  making  prepara- 
tion in  this  way  for  preaching.  A  man  thinks  he  has  a 
great  thought.  Let  him  write  it  down  and  see  how  it 
looks  on  paper.  I  tell  you  that  sometimes  what  would 
seem  very  great  thoughts  shrivel  immensely  when  they 
are  put  down  in  black  and  white !  There  is  something, 
perhaps,  in  your  mind,  something  of  which  you  have 


PREACHING  : — MANNER  AND  MATTER.     255 

often  talked,  that  has  been  very  impressive  to  you,  and 
you  have  given  expression  to  your  feeling  by  a  series  of 
interjections  :  "  0  my  !  "  "  awful  1  "  "  tremendous  !  " 
*'  wonderful  1  "  "  astonishing  !  "  But  a  man  cannot  go 
on  and  repeat  these  interjections  to  the  people  ;  he  must 
say  something  that  will  give  an  impression  of  what  is 
*'  awful  "  and  "  tremendous."  When  he  writes  it  down 
he  will  be  able  to  see  whether  it  is  really  awful  and 
tremendous.  That  is  one  sufficient  reason,  it  seems  to 
me,  for  this  process  of  writing  out,  and  to  me  this  is  the 
main  reason.     The  other  two  are  subsidiarv. 

In  the  second  place,  a  man  has  a  comfortable  sense  of 
having  honestly  tried  to  do  his  duty  when  he  has  put 
down  upon  paper  the  thoughts  that  he  is  to  give  to  the 
people,  and  when  he  knows  what  he  has  to  say  to  th#m. 
I  speak  for  myself — I  hope  the  egotism  will  be  forgiven, 
for  I  have  been  directed  to  talk  in  this  way — I  should 
not  feel  free  to  speak  in  the  most  simple  and  informal 
manner  without  putting  down  on  paper  what  I  aimed  to 
say.  I  came  home  very  tired  last  night  about  half-past 
ten  o'clock,  and  I  knew  I  had  to  speak  here  this  evening, 
but  I  should  not  have  been  able  to  sleep  with  a  good 
conscience  without  putting  down  that  line  of  thought  I 
am  evolving — (of  no  great  value,  I  admit) — but,  such 
as  it  is,  I  should  not  be  free  in  my  own  mind  if  I  had 
not  done  that,  for  I  knew  that  I  had  to  work  all  this 
day. 

In  the  third  place,  if  it  should  happen  that  a  man  has 
occasion  to  make  subsequent  use  of  j)repared  discourses, 
this  plan  enables  him  to  turn  his  former  labors  to  account, 
and  after  honest  and  careful  preparation  of  this  kind,  as 
I  know,  he  will  be  able  to  go  back  upon  a  manuscript  of 


256  PREACHING  : — MANNEE  ^iND  MATTEE. 

twenty  years,  and  in  a  couple  of  hours,  he  will  be  able 
to  so  possess  his  own  mind  with  what  he  wrote  at  that 
period  as  to  communicate  it  freely  and  usefully  to  an 
ordinary  congregation.  That  is  the  method,  it  seems  to 
me,  on  the  whole  more  wise  for  ordinary  men  to  adopt. 

If  I  write  a  sermon,  and  then  take  it  to  the  pulpit 
and  read  it,  it  seems  to  me,  as  a  matter  of  common- 
sense,  that  by  my  reading  it  to  the  people  I  confess  to 
them  that  I  am  not  able  to  remember  it  myself ;  and  it 
does  seem  a  little  unreasonable  to  expect  the  people  to 
remember  what  the  preacher  confesses,  by  his  reading, 
he  himself  is  not  able  to  remember. 

Let  us  not  briog  into  the  pulpit  the  smart  hits  that  are 
so  successful  with  many  a  lecturer  on  the  lecturing  stage. 
He  may  do  lawfully  what  we  can  only  do  at  the  cost  of 
lowering  ourselves  and  our  mission.  On  the  same  prin- 
ciple all  coarseness,  or  mere  colloquialism  or  slang,  every 
thing,  in  fact,  that  vulgarizes  the  Gospel,- the  man,  and 
the  pulpit,  ought  to  be  religiously  and  earnestly  kept 
away. 

In  enlarging  a  little  upon  that  point  I  think  I  shall 
be  safe  in  adding,  that  we  ought  to  teach  the  truth  in  the 
proportions  in  which  we  find  the  truths  in  the  book,  in 
the  proportions  in  which  the  truths  are  placed  in  this 
book.  If  we  do  that,  we  cannot  fail  to  be  evangelical 
preachers.  That  is  to  say,  we  cannot  fail  to  make  Jesus 
Christ  the  sum  and  substance  of  our  ministry,  for  he  is 
the  sum  and  substance  of  this  blessed  book  And  if  we 
preach  the  truths  in  the  proportions  in  which  they  are 
put  in  the  word  of  God,  we  shall  be  most  likely  to  edify 
the  people  and  to  build  them  up  on  their  most  holy  faith. 
Shall  I  illustrate  what  I  mean  by  this  phrase — teach- 


PEEACHING: — ^MANNER  AND  MATTER.  257 

ing  the  truths  in  the  proportions  they  occupy  in  the 
Bible  ?  In  England  the  idea  took  possession  of  the  minds 
of  men — a  very  just  and  true  idea — that  the.  Church  is 
not  a  mere  voluntary  society  like  a  club  or  a  debating 
union,  but  an  organization  called  into  existence  by  the 
Almighty,  and  therefore  a  divine  institution.  This  truth 
ought  to  be  taught  in  its  place,  and  have  as  much  place 
in  our  teaching  as  it  has  in  the  Bible.  But  certain  good 
men  gave  that  truth  disproportionate  place,  and  Church- 
ism  grew  up ;  then  they  proceeded  to  give  to  it  more 
place,  until  they  became  High-Churchmen ;  then  they 
proceeded  to  give  it  more  place,  and  they  became  Ritu- 
alist ;  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  upon  that  same  line 
many  of  them  proceeded  until  they  became  Romanists. 
So  men  have  exaggerated  the  truth,  giving  it  a  propor- 
tion in  their  teachings  that  it  does  not  have  in  the  word. 

We  must  speak  to  the  people  in  the  loving,  gentle, 
patient  spirit  of  the  Gospel  ;  and  that  need  not  hinder 
our  speaking  of  what  is  called  "  the  terror  of  the  law,' 
and  the  awfulness  of  eternal  ruin.  Dear  brethren,  just 
because  we  love  the  people,  just  because  we  would  fain 
have  them  saved,  just  because  we  see  the  glory  of  Christ 
and  the  awfulness  of  external  exile  from  him,  we  should 
speak  as  to  try  to  win  them  to  him. 

And  so  we  must  speak  always,  and  the  hardest  and 
sternest  truths  of  God's  word  we  may  speak  with  awe, 
speak  with  melting  words,  with  stammering  tongues, 
with  flowing  tears,  if  we  would  speak  the  truth  in  the 
spirit  of  him  who  "  beheld  the  city  and  wept  over  it." 

I  am  of  opinion,  for  example,  that  in  this  country  at 

this  moment,  it  is  a  present  truth  to  make  the  people 

understand  something  of  the  nature  of  Romanism.    We 
22* 


258  PREACHING: — MANNEE   AND  MATTEU. 

shall  have  to  fight  that  battle  before  a  great  many  years, 
and  we  are  singularly  unprepared  for  it.  There  are 
great  multitudes  of  leaders  of  public  opinion — public 
educators — who  have  not  the  slightest  readiness  of  mind  ; 
they  have  not  begun  to  acquire  even  that  condition  of 
mind  in  which  they  are  capable  of  dealing  with  that 
great  Romish  controversy.  You  will  meet  with  very 
intelligent  people  who  pooh-pnoh  Romanism — "  The 
thing  is  absurd,  ridiculous ;  the  idea  of  intelligent,  sen- 
sible men  accepting  a  system  like  that!  "  I  tell  you, 
dear  brethren,  and  I  tell  the  students  of  this  Seminary, 
that  a  man  in  that  temper  is  in  no  condition  to  deal  with 
Romanism.  Romanism  is  a  compact,  concatenated,  log- 
ical system,  in  which,  having  accepted  premises,  you  are 
compelled  to  come  to  its  conclusion.  Educated  Roman- 
ists know  that  very  well,  aod  feel  the  power  of  it.  I 
tell  you  if  I  came  to  that  state  of  mind  that  is  now 
called  "  High.Church,"  as  an  honest  man  I  would  not 
stay  there  three  days ;  I  could  not — the  relentless,  un- 
answerable logic  of  the  system  would  compel  me  to 
go  where  I  should  stand  under  papal  infallibility.  If  I 
may  be  pardoned  for  making  the  suggestion,  young  men 
who  are  in  college  and  seminary  now  might  do  many 
things  worse  than  to  give  a  little  patient  and  careful 
study  to  that  great  controversy. 

Romanism  is  a  political  corporation,  as  well  as  a  reli- 
gious creed ;  it  is  an  organization  for  ruling  the  bodies, 
the  estates,  and  the  consciences  of  men  together,  and 
when  kings  of  the  earth  draw  their  swords  and  strike  the 
scepter  out  of  its  hand  it  has  no  right  to  remonstrate, 
for  its  scepter  is  of  a  double  character,  secular  and  sac- 
red, as  well  as  tyrannical  and  destructive  in  its  sway. 


PREACHING: — MANNER  AND  MATTER,  259 

Now,  I  have  in  a  very  rapid,  sketchy,  colloquial  way 
indicated  to  you  a  line  of  thought  which  I  hope  you  will 
be  ahle  to  follow  out  for  yourselves.  Will  you  permit 
me  to  conclude  by  saying  one  or  two  words  of  a  more 
strictly  personal  character  ? 

Youns^  men  of  this  Seminary,  I  have  a  good  enough 
memory  to  be  able  to  put  myself  back  in  the  position 
in  which  you  are  now,  and  to  have  some  sympathy  with 
you  in  pour  present  aims,  pursuits,  and  studies.  Let  me 
beg  of  you  to  aim  at  being  pure  and  holy  men.  There 
are  other  things  that  will  be  of  great  advantage  to  you, 
and  which,  you  will  see,  I  do  not  depreciate.  I  am  in 
favor  of  the  hio-hest  intellectual  culture  beinsj  subsi- 
dized  to  the  defense  and  statement  of  the  Gospel.  I 
would  have  ministers  in  every  respect  such  men  as  to 
command  the  respect  and  confidence  of  educated  and 
intellectual  worldlings  ;  and  as  I  read  the  character  of 
Jesus  Christ  he  produced  this  impression. 

I  should,  if  I  could — make  ministers  stand  forth  as 
men  who  had  trained,  cultivated,  able,  vigorous  minds  ; 
who  can  see  through  the  sophistries  with  which  men  cheat 
and  beguile  themselves,  while  holding  forth  the  truth 
as  it  is  in  Jesus.  Christian  simplicity  is  not  Christian 
simpleness  by  any  means. 

But,  gentlemen,  it  is  of  all  things  important,  with  all 
these  advantages,  that  you  be  holy  and  pure  men.  Some- 
body may  not  like  the  word  holy.  I  like  it.  I  don't 
see  why  we  shoul  not  all  like  it ;  but  if  they  like  another 
let  them  take  it — consecrated  men,  godly  men,  spiritual 
men,  Christ-like  men,  men  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  with  power.  Be  such  men  if  you  would  have  a 
ministry  of  power !     This  makes  all  religious  eflfort,  ad- 


260  PREACHING: — MANNER   AND  MATTER. 

dress  and  conversation  in  the  truest  sense,  natural  and 
spontaneous.  When  a  vessel  is  filled  to  the  very  brim 
with  water,  the  least  agitation  sends  some  over  the  side  ; 
and  when  a  man's  heart  is  filled  with  love  to  God  and 
filled  with  love  to  souls,  what  else  shall  he  do  than 
speak  these  great  things  to  his  fellow-creatures  ? 

I  had  one  person  in  my  congregation,  a  Sabbath-school 
teacher,  a  few  years  back — she  is  in  Heaven  now.  The 
ladies  will  not  be  angry  at  my  mentioning  this  here. 
She  was  comparatively  young ;  personally,  very  lovely  ; 
but  her  main  charm  was,  that  she  loved  Christ.  He 
filled  her  heart.  I  tell  you  it  was  as  easy  and  as  nat- 
ural to  til  at  young  girl  to  speak  of  Jesus  Christ  and  the 
things  of  eternal  life  as  it  is  to  most  of  us  to  speak  about 
the  whether.  That  is  what  I  mean  by  being  at  heart — 
thoroughl}^,  through  and  through  ;  not  so  much  possess- 
ing the  truth,  as,  possessed  by  the  truth ;  and  then  there 
will  be  freedom,  there  will  be  spontaneity  to  our  efforts ; 
we  shall  be  able  by  the  manifestation  of  the  truth  to 
commend  ourselves  to  every  man's  conscience  in  the  sight 
of  God.  May  you  be  helped,  dear  young  brethren,  so  to 
do  ;  and  may  God's  blessing  rest  upon  you ! 


CHAPTER  XLIL 

"WHAT    TO    PREACH." 

(evangelical  PREACHINQ.  —  COMPILER.) 

[AUTHORIZKD.— EVANGELICAL  ALLIANCE.] 

Rev.  John  Hall,  D.  D. 

The  sinners  to  whom  we  preach  are  to  be  pitied,  and 
we  cannot  show  too  much  compassion  for  them ;  but 
they  are  also  to  be  blamed,  and  we  are  bound  to  tell 
them  that  they  are  culpable  for  rejecting  and  despising 
the  Gospel  we  are  sent  to  proclaim.  Their  condition, 
until  they  believe,  is  dreadful  in  the  extreme,  and  we 
should  labor  to  make  them  understand  and  feel  that ; 
but  it  is  the  dreadful  misery  not  of  a  misfortune  that 
has  come  upon  them,  an  evil  chance  that  has  happened 
to  them,  but  of  a  crime  which  they  are  still  committing 
and  willingly  persisting  in. 

Very  likely  this  will  not  always  gratify  them  ;  very 
likely,  instead  of  soothing  them,  this  will  vex  and  irritate 
them,  and  make  them  secretly  angry ;  and  then  we  must 
go  on  and  preach  so  and  live  so,  that  they  shall,  by  the 
blessing  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  see  that  they  have  no  reason 
to  be  angry  with  us,  who  only  carry  God's  message,  but 
that,  in  point  of  fact,  they  are  angry  with  the  truth — in 


262  "WHAT  TO  PREACH." 

other  words,   with  the  message   which  the  Lord  sends 
them  concerning  themselves. 

We  cannot,  again,  feel  too  keen  a  sympathy  with  the 
people  who  hear  us — some  of  them  altogether  in  the 
dark,  some  of  them  opening  their  eyes  a  little,  some  of 
them  seeing  men  as  trees  walking,  some  of  them  loving 
the  light,  and  craving  more,  and  some  of  them  sorely 
beaten  down  and  crushed  by  trials  and  difficulties  in 
their  life. 

We  cannot  feel  too  keen  a  sympathy  with  them, 
especially  when  we  remember  our  own  struggles,  and 
the  dim  twilight  through  which  many  of  us  have  groped, 
if  now  in  God's  light,  we  see  light  clearly. 

But  what  shall  we  do  ?  What  sympathy  is  best  for 
all  these  varied  conditions  of  the  human  spirit  1 

Here  it  is  that  the  evangelical  system, — that  is,  the 
system  which  magnifies  at  every  turn  the  objective  truth 
regarding  the  person  and  work  of  Jesus  Christ,  gives,  it 
seems  to  me,  its  true  and  proper  power  to  the  pulpit. 

My  sympathy  is  good  as  far  as  it  goes ;  but  divine 
sympathy  is  infinitely  better. 

And  what  do  I  know,  what  can  I  present  of  divine 
sympathy  but  in  Jesus  Christ  ?  What  can  I  gather  and 
disclose  of  this  sympathy  from  general  considerations 
regarding  Deity  ? 

The  world — .God's  world — is  a  mystery  to  all  of  us. 
Even  10  Christians  Providence  is  a  perpetual  puzzle,  and 
they  must  wait  to  see  how  good  and  wise  God  is  by  see- 
ing the  end. 

But  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,  God's  glory,  aye,  the 
light  of  the  knowledge  of  it  shines.  Him  we  can  preach 
to  the  people ;  on  his  sympathy  we  can  expatiate,  him 


"  WHAT  TO  PEEACH."  263 

we  can  lift  up  and  unfold,  the  personal  Eedeemer,  Son 
of  God  and  son  of  man — divine — human,  the  might  of 
omnipotence  in  his  arm,  even  when  it  was  nailed  to  the 
tree,  him  the  prophet  for  the  ignorance  of  man,  the  priest 
for  the  guilt  of  man,  and  the  daily  securing  wants  and 
sins  of  man,  the  king  for  the  defence  and  government  of 
man,  the  true  and  tender  brother  to  the  believer,  the 
captain  of  salvation  to  the  Christian  soldier,  the  good 
master  to  the  disciple,  the  Lord  and  Saviour  to  the 
meanest  and  poorest  believer,  yes,  to  the  weakest  and 
least  effective  of  his  servants  here,  as  truly  as  to  the 
apostle  Paul. 

When  we  preach  this  Jesus  to  men,  and  they  receive 
him,  it  is  not  only  that  they  get  more  light,  are  elevated, 
helped,  carried  forward  beyond  the  lengths  to  which 
other  forms  of  teaching  carry  them;  it  is  not  this  only, 
nor,  indeed,  this  at  all.  It  is  that  they  are  now  enlight- 
ened with  this  kind  of  light  for  the  first  time,  and  they 
find  out  that  whatever  they  knew  before,  in  this  kind  of 
light  they  were  blind,  and  in  this  kind  of  knowledge 
they  were  utterly  ignorant. 

Now  they  are  the  subjects  of  a  change  more  or  less 
conscious ;  call  it  conversion,  or  regeneration,  or  illu- 
mination, or  any  other  name  you  will,  that  is  understood 
in  its  meaning  by  the  people,  and  in  the  preacher's  sense 
of  it,  which  ought  to  be  the  scriptural  sense  of  it. 

Now  they  have  pardon,  they  are  accepted,  they  are 
in  Christ,  they  are  in  a  new  condition,  and  are  set  out 
upon  the  attainment  of  a  new  character. 

It  is  not  that  this  revelation  of  God's  mercy,  through 
belief  of  which  they  are  in  Christ,  has  made  them  better, 
has  improved  their  manhood,  or  elevated  them, — a  tern- 


264  "what  to  preach/' 

perance  society  might  do  that,  —  it  is  that  they  are 
changed,  that  the  secret  springs  of  the  will  are  touched. 
If  any  man  be  in  Christ  he  is  a  better  man  ?  No.  A 
broader  man  ?  No.  He  is  a  new  creature — made  a  new 
man  by  an  act  of  God,  by  his  word — as  truly  a  divine 
act  as  w^hen  God  said :  "  Let  there  be  light,  and  there 
was  light." 

And  that  we  ministers  ourselves  thus  enlightened  by 
divine  grace  can  preach  this  glorious  gospel  of  the  blessed 
God,  and  in  lifting  up  Jesus  Christ  produce  instru- 
mentally  these  results.  This  seems  to  me  to  be  the  real 
power,  and  when  done,  the  dignity  and  glory  of  the 
pulpit — any  pulpit,  ancient  or  modern. 

We  who  preach  are  poor  creatures ;  but  the  word  of 
the  Lord  is  mighty.  Of  that  word  Jesus  Christ  is  the 
sum  and  substance ;  and  the  sum  and  substance  of  any 
ministry  of  permanent  spiritual  power  must  be  the  set- 
ting forth  of  him,  the  living  Christ  for  dead  souls,  the 
bread  of  life  for  starving  souls,  the  water  of  life  for 
thirsty  souls,  the  one  life  given  of  divine  appointment, 
in  coming  to  whom  the  dead  in  sins  are  quickened,  and 
in  cleaving  to  whom  the  new  life  of  believers  is  fed  and 
strengthened. 

Now,  as  to  this  sensationalism  in  the  pulpit  there  is 
but  a  word  to  be  said. 

When  a  minister,  by  the  selection  of  odd  and  queer 
topics,  in  form  or  reality  away  from  the  Gospel — by 
unique  or  grotesque  ways  of  putting  himself,  or  putting 
his  things  before  the  people,  by  vulgarisms,  or  startling 
novelties  of  expression,  aims  at  making  a  sensation,  that 
terminates  with  the  hour,  or  at  least  terminate  upon  the 
preacher,  there  is  sensational  preaching,  which  is  ofifen- 


"  WHAT  TO  PEEACH.^'  265 

sive  to  true  taste,  as  it  is  away  from  the  spirit  of  the 
Gospel,  and  the  dignity  and  power  of  the  pulpit. 

That  is  not  only  contemptible  as  trifling  with  the  most 
solemn  themes  for  selfish  ends. 

I  hope  there  is  not  much  such  sensationalism. 

But  give  us  the  ministers  who  go  directly  with  Bible 
truth  to  the  souls  of  men — who  preach  to  them  of  their 
guilt  in  denying  the  Holy  One  and  the  Just,  who  urge 
this  home  on  judgment  and  conscience  with  an  earnest- 
ness, begotten  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  flowing  out  of 
souls  set  on  fire  from  above,  until  the  crowds,  carried 
away  subdued,  and  terrified  cry  out :  "  What  shall  we  do 
to  be. saved  ?  "  Let  us  have  sensations  like  this,  produced 
anywhere,  by  any  ministry,  and  I  for  one — if  no  part  of 
this  honor  is  given  me — shall  yet  fall  on  my  knees,  and 
give  thanks  to  God  who  hath  given  such  power  unto  men. 

Note. — "When  we  have  said  the  most  possible  for  the  Christianity 
of  the  present  day,  its  strength  and  efficiency,  it  remains  a  fact 
patent  that  its  success  is  exceedingly  limited,  compared  to  the  de- 
mands, and  to  its  first  achievements. 

There  is  a  reason  for  this — more  than  one,  doubtless — but  much 
of  the  defect  is  attributable  to  the  want  of  evangelical  preaching.  It 
is  in  God's  plan  to  save  men  by  preaching,  and  if  this  be  defective, 
the  results  will  be  also. 

What  can  we  expect  of  very  much  of  the  pulpit  displays  of  our 
times?  The  learned  essays,  the  oratorical  declamations,  the  pulpit 
eulogies,  the  philosophical  speculations,  the  metaphysical,  hair- 
splitting distinctions — these  and  kindred  productions?  Good  enough 
in  some  men,  good  enough  in  their  place  and  in  their  time,  but  as 
Christless  a-s  the  Shaster,  pitiable  substitutes  for  the  Gospel  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The  one  thing  needful  for  the  ministry  of  our 
times  is  more  of  Christ ,  more  of  Christ  in  their  personal  experience, 
in  their  life  and  in  their  messages  to  the  people.  It  is  becoming  an 
anxious  question.  How  shall  we  answer  to  the  arguments  of  modem 
skeptics,  and  who  is  the  forthcoming  man  that  shall  be  sufl&cient  for 
the  task? — Anonymous. 
23 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 

WHAT    SHALL    MINISTERS    PREACH? 

[INDEPENDENT,} 

S.  T.  Spear,  D.  D. 

There  are  two  classes  of  extremists  in  respect  to 
preaching,  with  neither  of  which  are  we  able  fully  to 
agree.  Neither  states  the  whole  truth,  and  neither 
states  even  half  of  it  so  as  properly  to  represent  it.  The 
one  class  claims  that  the  themes  of  the  pulpit  should  be 
almost  exclusively  spiritualf  having  reference  to  the 
thoughts,  affections,  and  purposes  of  the  heart  toward 
God,  and  leaving  these  to  work  out  their  proper  results 
in  the  ethical  and  mundane  relations  of  the  present  life. 
This  is  deemed  to  be  spiritual  preaching,  and  no  other 
is  proper  on  the  lips  of  the  Christian  ministry.  The 
other  class  demands  that  the  pulpit  shall  be  as  exclu- 
sively devoted  to  temporal  moralities,  growing  out  ot 
the  present  relations  of  men,  leaving  dogmas,  creeds, 
theologies,  and  what  they  deem  spiritual  abstractions 
and  impalpabilities  to  books  and  professional  experts. 
This  is  practical  preaching,  and  just  the  kind  most 
wanted  in  this  world. 


WHAT  SHALL  MINISTEES  PEEACH  ?  267 

Both  of  these  classes  are  right,  and  both  wrong,  in 
some  respects  ;  and  hence  neither  presents  the  whole 
truth  in  its  rounded,  completed,  and  symmetrical  form. 
Blend  the  two  views  together,  so  that  each  shall  modify 
the  other,  and  thus  produce  a  compound  somewhat  dif- 
ferent from  either  by  a  simple  change  of  proportions  ; 
and  we  then  have  the  whole  truth,  as  appearing  in  the 
Word  of  God,  and  enforced  by  a  comprehensive  reason. 
The  Christian  pulpit,  when  moving  in  such  an  orbit,  is 
never  out  of  its  sphere.  Though  not  preaching  at  any 
one  time  a  whole  system  of  theology,  or  a  whole  system 
of  morals,  and  never  running  hobbies  at  the  expense  of 
general  harmony,  it  aims  to  give  to  every  man  what  the 
Bible  calls  a  portion  in  due  season. 

Those  doctrines  and  duties  which  have  their  center  in 
God,  especially  as  revealed  in  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  are 
not  mere  ornamental  parts  of  religion,  simply  to  supply 
the  rhetoric  and  the  sanctions  of  preaching.  Nor  are 
they  so  obscure  and  impalpable  as  to  embarrass  utter- 
ance or  perplex  thought.  They  are  vital,  and  withal 
indispensable  to  the  formation  of  a  sound  religious  char- 
acter. They  constitute  really  the  strongest  elements  of 
appeal  to  human  nature.  It  should  always  be  a  pri- 
mary object  with  the  Christian  pulpit  to  turn  men's 
hearts  unto  God ;  and  that,  too,  by  preaching  the  true 
God  in  his  attributes,  relations,  moral  government,  plan 
of  grace,  and  providence  over  the  world.  A  pulpit 
without  a  distinct  and  positive  theology,  which  it  enun- 
ciates, would  be  like  a  cranium  without  any  brains  in- 
side. It  would  be  a  mere  unvitalized  shell.  Virtue, 
even  if  it  were  possible,  that  has  no  basis  in  God,  would 
not  exist  for  the  strongest  reason,  or  be  energized  by  the 


268  WHAT   SHALL  MINISTERS  PEEACH  ? 

Highest  motives.  A  bad  theology  in  the  pulpit,  as  in 
the  press  and  everywhere  else,  is  a  prodigious  evil  to 
humanity.  It  may  not  be  as  formidable  in  all  respects 
as  atheisiical  morality ;  yet,  as  compared  with  truth  and 
the  normal  effects  thereof,  it  is  a  grave  calamity  to  the 
world. 

Equally  clear  is  it  that  the  ethics  of  time  which  grow 
out  of  the  temporal  relations  of  men,  whether  they  be 
domestic,  social,  or  political,  should  have  the  freest 
scope  in  the  utterances  of  the  Christian  teacher.  There 
is  nothing  in  this  world  too  good  to  be  commended,  or 
too  bad  to  be  condemned ;  and  the  Christian  teacher  is 
just  the  man  of  all  others  to  commend  the  good  and  con- 
demn the  bad.  There  are  no  select  vices,  licensed  by 
usage  or  sanctioned  by  law,  which  limit  his  functions  of 
exposure  and  rebuke.  The  idea  of  some  that  because 
a  subject  has  political  relations  it  must  be  carefully 
ignored  by  the  preacher,  whatever  may  be  its  moral 
merits,  is  an  error  of  thought  founded  in  either  sin  or 
ignorant  prejudice.  Whatever  concerns  morality  in  any 
of  its  departments  is  an  appropriate  theme  for  Christian 
utterance,  whether  in  the  pulpit  or  out  of  it.  The  only 
question  is  one  of  opportune  selection,  due  proportion, 
wise  adaptation  to  existing  wants,  and  discreet  presenta- 
tion so  as  best  to  gain  the  end. 

The  right  and  the  duty  of  the  pulpit,  in  things  spirit- 
ual and  things  moral,  to  exercise  the  largest  liberty  of 
discussion  ought  to  be  most  cheerfully  conceded  by  the 
pew.  A  gagged  ministry  is  not  worth  paying  for.  A 
timid  ministry  courts  more  criticism  than  it  avoids,  and 
licenses  more  opposition  than  it  conciliates.     A  time- 


WHAT  SHALL  MINISTERS  PREACH  ?  269 

serving  ministry  is  too  contemptible  to  be  entitled  even 
to  toleration.  A  one-sided  ministry  is  not  broad  enough 
to  meet  the  wants  of  its  own  position  or  those  of  the 
world.  A  bold  and  comprehensive  ministry,  metropoli- 
tan in  the  great  elements  of  truth  and  cosmopolitan  in 
their  application,  best  honors  itself  while  it  best  serves 
the  purposes  of  preaching. 
23* 


CHAPTER  XLIY. 

DEFINITE    DOCTRINAL    SERMONS    NEEDED. 

[congkegationalist.] 
By  Prof.  Austin  Phelps,  D.  D. 

A  straw  may  show  which  way  the  wind  blows.  So 
the  drift  of  opinion  indicates,  as  it  seems  to  me, 
certain  perils  which  we  shall  do  well  to  ponder. 

1.  It  indicates  the  dangler  of  a  disuse  of  Doctrinal 
preaching. 

2.  A  second  peril  is  that  our  theological  faith  it- 
self will  become  obsolete.  In  this  matter,  the  pew  is 
dependent  on  the  pulpit.  The  taste  of  the  hearer, 
will  be  formed  by  the  practice  of  the  preacher.  Si- 
lence of  doctrine  in  the  pulpit,  means  ignorance,  and 
at  last  unbelief,  in  the  pew. 

The  result  does  not  come  in  the  form  of  a  catastro- 
phe. No  moral  convulsion  scatters  the  faith  of  cen- 
turies in  a  night.  The  end  comes  insidiously.  A 
single  doctrine  of  the  system  grows  dim  ;  the  people 
cannot  give  a  reason  for  their  faith  in  it ;  a  phospho- 
rescent skepticism  throws  odium  upon  it ;  fellowship 
with  unbelievers  in  it  becomes  an  open  question  ;  and 
then  the  end  of  it  is  not  far  oflf.     Yet  it  is  more  than 


DEFINITE   DOCTEINAL   SEEMO^S  NEEDED.         271 

the  end  of  that  doctrine.  The  faith  we  hold  is  a  sys- 
tem. No  mind  can  self-consistently^  and  no  thought- 
ful mind  will,  surrender  one  element  of  it,  without 
putting  in  pawn  its  faith  in  all  the  rest. 

Do  we  not  see  signs  of  such  theological  degeneracy 
in  our  own  times  ?  Is  not  the  taste  for  theological 
inquiry  declining  in  our  churches  ?  Thirty  years 
ago,  I  once  heard  Rev.  Wm.  M.  Rogers,  the  brilliant 
pastor  of  the  Central  Church  in  Boston,  say  that 
there  were  laymen  in  his  church  who  had  read  more 
theology  than  he  had.  Are  there  such  laymen  in  the 
Central  Church  now?  Who  of  our  laymen  now  store 
their  libraries  with  the  standards  of  theological  sci- 
ence ?  Who,  outside  of  the  clergy,  reads  now  the 
works  of  President  Edwards  ?  Yet,  I  have  in  my  li- 
brary a  copy  of  those  works,  well-worn  by  the  thought- 
ful and  devout  study  of  the  senior  deacon  of  the  Pine 
Street  Church  of  Boston  in  1845.  His  Sabbath  rec- 
reation he  used  to  find  in  reading  Edwards  on  God's 
End  in  Creation. 

I  may  be  wrong ;  I  surely  do  not  mean  to  croak. 
But  to  my  view,  one  of  the  most  formidable  signs  of 
a  decline  of  theological  taste  among  us,  is  this  clamor 
of  the  people  for  sermons  that  are  not  doctrinal.  * 

3.  One  other  peril  follows,  as  a  matter  of  course. 
It  is  that  our  Congregational  churches  will  deteriorate 
in  character  by  a  radical  change  of  stock.  From  their 
beginning,  these  churches  have  appealed  to  the  most 
thoughtful  classes  of  the  people.  They  have  been 
built  up  from  a  thinking  stock.  We  have  always  de- 
manded an  educated  clergy  in  our  pulpits.  We  have 
esteemed  as  above  all  price  a  high-toned  theological 


272         DEFINITE  DOCTRINAL  SERMONS  NEEDED. 

literature.  "Wherever  New  England  Congregational- 
ism goes,  one  of  the  first  signs  of  its  existence  is  a 
college.     We  build  colleges  before  we  build  bridges. 

Hence  our  denominational  strength  is  in  our  pul- 
pits. Our  forms  of  worship  are  needlessly  and  peri- 
lously bare.  Our  ministry  are  not  a  priesthood,  and 
our  communion-tables  are  not  altars.  Our  architec- 
tural taste  is  not  fascinating.  Our  antiquity  is  noth- 
ing burthensome.  Our  strength  is  in  our  pulpits,  or 
nowhere.  In  this  respect  we  but  represent  the  stal- 
wart character  of  our  theology.  It  is  yet  to  be  proved 
that  we  can  change  our  record  in  these  things,  with- 
out alienating  from  us  the  thoughtful  and  conserva- 
tive classes,  on  whose  support  Congregationalism  has 
lived,  and  whose  religious  sympathies  it  represents. 
It  is  a  dangerous  experiment  to  tamper  with  the  old 
stock. 

Specially  is  anything  a.  peril  to  us  which  under- 
mines our  pulpit.  Ours  must  be  a  reasoning  pulpit. 
It  must  penetrate  things,  prove  things,  build  deep  and 
build  high.  To  do  this,  it  must  discuss  great  themes 
in  great  ways.  It  must  handle  strong  doctrines,  ele- 
mental truths,  the  landmarks  of  Christian  thought, 
which  centuries  have  elaborated.  It  can  never  live 
on  evangelistic  labors,  nor  what  is  now  understood 
by  "  revival-preaching." 

The  danger  is  that  the  result  will  be  to  hand  over 
to  wiser  builders  the  natural  stock  of  Congregational 
churches,  and  leave  us  to — the  East  wind  I 

But  we  do  beg  our  thoughtful  laymen,  who  can, 
and  who  ought  to,  give  character  to  the  public  taste 


DEFINITE  DOCTEINAL  SERMONS  NEEDED.    273 

in  this  thing,  that  they  will  reconsider  their  apparent 
verdict,  thus  far  expressed. 

Encourage  a  thinking  ministry.  Cultivate  studious 
hearing.  Welcome  doctrinal  discussions.  And  that 
these  things  may  be  done,  give  the  preachers  oppor- 
tunity to  say  their  best  wisdom,  their  richest  expe- 
rience, their  profoundest  teachings  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Do  not  make  the  tastes  of  your  little  children  the  rule 
of  your  pulpits.  Are  ye  not  7nen?  We  are  but  men. 
We  cannot  preach  by  telegraph.  The  lightning  does 
not  play  upon  our  tongue.  Some  of  us  are  slow  of 
speech.  The  bees  did  not  drop  honey  on  our  lips  in 
our  cradles.  Bear  with  our  infirmity  ;  and  do  not 
double  it  by  requiring  ol  us  what  apostles  never  did, 
and  could  not  have  done  if  they  would. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

THE  RELATION  OF  THEOLOGY  TO  PREACHING. 
By  Rev.  Albert  Barnes. 

What  is  the  theology  which  experience  has  shown 
to  be  best  adapted  to  the  ends  of  preaching,  and 
which  we  can  preach  with  a  hope  of  success?  What 
may  be  preached  so  as  to  answer  the  ends  of  preach- 
ing— so  that  men  will  perceive  it  to  be  true,  and  so 
that  they  will  be  converted  to  God? 

It  is  of  but  little  use  to  preach  tD  a  sinner  as  hav- 
ing some  strong  propensities  to  evil ;  but  that  he  is 
not  in  such  a  state  that  what  is  needful  for  him  is 
a  radical  and  total  change,  but  the  development  of 
internal  virtues  still  living  within  him ;  the  cultiva- 
tion of  his  noble  and  god-like  powers.  That  he  does 
not  need  an  entire  transformation,  securing  the  very 
beginning  of  goodness  in  the  soul,  but  to  cultivate  the 
virtues  already  existing  there,  which  need  only  to  be 
unfolded. 

The  thing  to  be  done  in  man  is  not  what  philoso- 
phy contemplates — development,  but  it  is  recovery  and 
rescue — a  work  peculiar  to  the  gospel  of  Christ. 
Preaching,  addresses  man  as  in  ruins  ;  philosophy  ad- 


THE  RELATION  OF  THEOLOGY  TO  PREACHING.      275 

dresses  him  as  what  mind  would  he  if  the  fall  had 
never  occured — and  that  is  not  a  system  which  can  be 
preached.  The  primary  thought,  every  one  instinc- 
tively feels,  in  addressing  man  from  the  pulpit,  is  that 
he  is  a  sinner ;  the  grand  theme  is  redemption,  and 
reconciliation  with  God  ;  the  issues  referred  to  are  an 
eternal  heaven  and  hell ;  the  world,  though  full  of 
beauty,  is  a  world  of  probation,  from  which  the  results 
of  humam  conduct  are  borne  ever  onward  into  far- 
distant  worlds ;  and  in  reference  to  these  things,  and 
to  the  eternal  judgment,  the  most  amazing  and  won- 
derful events  have  occurred  on  earth — the  incarna- 
tion and  the  atonement. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  therefore,  the  doctrine  of 
limited  atonement,  is  not  and  cannot  be  preached. 
It  is  not  preached  when  the  soul  is  on  fire  with  the 
love  of  men,  and  when  the  cross  in  its  true  grandeur 
and  glory  rises  to  view.  It  is  never  preached  in  a  re- 
vival of  religion — a  proof,  not  fable,  that  the  doctrine 
is  not  true. 

Akin  to  this  is  the  doctrine  of  man's  natural  inabil- 
ity to  do  the  will  of  God,  to  repent  of  his  sins,  and  to 
beheve  the  gospel.  This  doctrine  too  has  been  taught 
in  the  schools  ;  it  is  found  in  books  of  theology ;  it  is 
embodied  in  creeds ;  it  is  based  on  an  ingenious 
philosophy ;  it  has  been  held  by  not  a  few  eminent 
men  ;  but  it  is  not  a  doctrine  to  be  preached.  If,  here 
and  there,  a  man  has  the  moral  courage  to  preach  it 
and  means  honestly  to  apply  his  philosophy,  and  to 
make  "full  proof"  of  divinity,  as  he  understands  it, 
he  soon  ''has  his  reward,"  and  will  see  abundantly  the 
fruit  of  his  ministry.     For  why   should  men  make  an 


276   THE  RELATION  OF  THEOLOGY  TO  PREACHING. 

effort  to  be  saved,  when  they  are  told  that  all  effort  is 
vain?  And  why  should  they  hear  a  message  which 
is  only  to  tell  them  that  they  have  no  power,  and 
that  all  exertion  is  fruitless  ?  And  why  should  they 
put  themselves  under  teaching  which  makes  religion 
at  varience  with  everything  else  that  they  do,  and 
which,  in  a  most  active  world,  and  where  men  do  ac- 
complish wonders  by  their  efforts,  tells  them  that  ef- 
fort is  vain  ?  How  will  they  be  persuaded  that  the 
same  God  is  the  author  of  the  two  systems  ;  and  that 
in  reference  to  transitory  and  temporary  matters  he 
has  so  made  man  that  he  can  accomplish  everything; 
in  reference  to  things  of  real  and  permanent  interest, 
nothing? 

Thus  too,  it  is  with  the  doctrine  of  the  imputation 
of  the  sin  of  Adam — the  doctrine  that  we  are  to 
blame  for  his  transgression, — and  condemed  for  an 
act  which  was  performed  ages  before  we  had  a  being. 
Such  dogmas  so  come  athwart  the  common  sense  of 
mankind  ;  they  are  so  at  variance  with  the  principles 
on  which  men  act  in  other  things  ;  they  so  much  iso- 
late theology  from  common  life,  and  from  what  men 
know  to  be  just  principles,  that  a  preacher  who  at- 
tempts to  defend  them  goes  against  the  common 
sense  and  the  consciences  of  his  fellow-men,  and 
against  all  the  principles  which  prevail  in  the  world, 
and  they  cannot  be  preached.  Theology  as  viewed 
from  an  intelligent  Christian  pulpit,  is  often  quite  a 
different  thing  from  what  it  is  in  the  lecture  room. 
The  theology  which  Baxter,  and  Payson,  and  White- 
field  preached,  was  quite  a  different  thing  from  what 
theology  is  in  Turretin. 


THE  RELATION  OF  THEOLOGY  TO  PREACHING.   277 

I  proceed  to  inquire  more  definitely  what  kind  of 
theology  may  be  preached.  I  refer  to  that  which 
will  be  an  element  of  power  in  the  pulpit ;  which  so 
far  as  theology  is  concerned,  will  make  the  pulpit 
what  it  should  be.  The  Inquiry  is  substantially  simi- 
lar to  what  the  inquiry  would  be,  what  kind  of  doc- 
trines would  have  been  adapted  to  make  the  Beiiwb  in 
Athens  what  it  should  be  ;  or  would  be  fitted  to  call 
forth  the  eloquence  of  Roman  orators :  or  what  kind 
of  doctrines  became  the  House  of  Lords,  or  the 
House  of  Commons  in  the  days  of  Earl  of  Chatham 
and  of  Burke.  We  wish  to  know  what  truths  are 
appropriate  to  the  place,  and  will  stir  up  the  soul 
to  eloquence. 

It  is  not  enough  to  say  that  the  end  be  reached  by 
grace  of  manner,  or  by  any  rules  of  enunciation  or 
gesture,  or  by  the  precepts  which  mere  rhetoricians 
give,  or  by  elegant  diction  and  powerful  declamation. 
The  end  is  to  be  reached  by  the  kind  of  theology 
which  is  taken  into  the  pulpit,  and  which  is  habitually 
presented  there.  I  refer  to  that  kind  of  theolugy 
which  will  make  the  pulpit  in  the  eyes  of  an  intelli- 
gent community  what  it  is  designed  to  be ;  w^hich 
will  secure  the  largest  measure  of  success  acf^ording 
to  the  talent  that  is  given  us ;  which  will  make  the 
pulpit  what  it  should  be  in  this  age  of  the  world, 
honorable  and  eminent  among  the  places  of  influen- 
cing men  by  public  speaking ;  and  which  will  be  best 
adapted  to  secure  the  progress  of  religion. 

What  kind  of  theolog/,  then,  may  be  preached,  to 
make  the  pulpit  what  it  should  be  ? 

1.     First,  it  must  be  that  which  is  based  on  obvi- 

24 


278      TEE  RELATION  OF  THEOLOGY  TO  PREACHING. 

ous  and  honest  principles  of  interpretation.  The 
preacher,  more  than  any  other  public  speaker,  is  the 
interpreter  of  a  hooh ;  and  no  inconsiderable  part  of 
his  work  consists  in  explaining  the  volume  which  lies 
before  him.  And  the  truth  is,  that  among  the  advan- 
ces made  on  subjects  connected  with  theology,  there 
are  none  which  are  more  manifest  than  those  which 
pertain  to  the  interpretation  of  the  Bible. 

2.  That  theology  which  can  be  preached  must  be 
such  as  shall  coniTnend  itself  to  the  common  sense  of 
mankind.  It  must  be  such  as  will  find  a  response  in 
the  laws  of  our  nature,  and  be  in  accordance  with 
the  principles  on  which  men  everywhere  feel  and  act. 
In  other  words,  a  man  who  undertakes  to  preach 
theology  should  be  a  man  of  common  sense,  and 
should  be  acquainted*  with  what  man  is.  There  is 
nothing  in  which  theology  has  been  more  defective 
than  in  the  want  of  adapting  itself  to  the  ways  in 
which  men  ordinarily  think,  and  speak,  and  act. 
There  is  no  one  thing — take  the  world  over —  in 
in  which  ministers  are  supposed  to  be  so  deficient  as 
in  regard  to  the  maxims  of  common  prudence,  and  a 
knowledge  of  human  nature.  There  is  no  one  thing 
in  which  the  theology  of  the  books  needs  a  more 
thorough  reformation,  than  in  adapting  it  to  the  max- 
ims of  common  sense. 

What  is  eminently  needed  in  a  theology  that  is  to 
be  preached  is,  that  its  philosophy  shall  he  such  as 
shall  accord  with  the  true  laws  of  the  mind;  that  it 
shall  be  adapted  to  human  nature  as  it  is  ;  and  that 
the  ministers  of  religion  shall  show  that  they  think 
act  like  other  men.     It  was  one  of  the  most  striking 


THE  EELATION  OF  THEOLOGY  TO  PREACHING.   279 


% 


peculiarities  in  the  theology  of  our  Grear  Master, 
that,  knowing  all  the  secret  springs  of  the  human 
heart,  and  commending  himself  to  his  hearers  by  siai- 
ple  illustrations  which  every  man  understood,  the 
^'  common  people  heard  him  gladly." 

The  man  who  would  preach  theology  successfully 
must  study  man — '  the  proper  study'  of  the  theolo- 
gian as  of  other  men — man  in  the  great  principles  of 
his  nature,  and  when  off  his  guard.  But  how  shall 
he  do  this  and  when?  I  cannot  go  largely  into  the 
answer  to  this  question  ;  but  I  will  throw  out  a  few 
hints.  Let  him,  then,  study  man  profoundly,  as  he  is 
exhibited  in  the  Bible,  and  feel  habitually  when  he 
approaches  that  book  which  is  to  be  his  familiar 
guide,  that  he  sees  man  as  he  has  been  drawn  by  Him 
who  knows  all  the  secret  springs  of  the  heart,  and  be- 
fore whose  eyes  there  was  no  veil  or  disguise  when 
the  character  of  man  was  drawn  there — man  as  he 
always  has  been  and  will  be. 

3.  The  theology  that  is  to  be  preached  should  sus- 
tain a  proper  relation  to  the  spirit  of  the  age.  I  mean 
that  it  should  be  adapted  to  the  habits  of  thinking, 
and  the  modes  of  doing  things,  and  the  enterprises  of 
the  generation  in  which  we  live. 

(a)  One  is,  that  each  age  of  the  world  has  its  own 
peculiarity  of  thinking  and  method  of  doing  things ; 
and  that  a  man  who  wishes  to  accomplish  any  thing 
must  be  a  man  of  that  generation,  and  not  a  man  of 
a  by-gone  age.  It  is  an  age  of  enterprise  and  action  ; 
of  rapid  changes  ;  of  new  forms  of  thought ;  of  a  dis- 
position to  apply  any  suggestion  in  science  or  morafs, 
however  slight,  or  however  bad  it  may  be,  to  new  ex- 


280   THE  EELATION  OF  THEOLCGY  TO  PEE  ACHING. 

periments,  and  to  make  the  most  of  it ;  of  methods 
of  rapid  interchanges  of  thought  among  men ;  an  age 
when  old  barriers  of  opinion,  and  interests,  and 
religion,  and  laws,  are  everywhere  tumbling  down, 
and  the  nations  of  the  earth  are  becoming  one.  Now 
he  who  intends  to  preach  the  gospel,  makes  a  great 
mistake  if  he  does  not  study  the  age  in  which  he 
lives,  and  does  not  appear  as  one  belonging  to  that 
age. 

(h)  Again.  In  a  theology  that  is  to  be  preached, 
the  ministry  should  not  only  be  endowed  with  the  ge- 
nial spirit  of  the  age,  but  should  be  able  to  meet  the 
new  questions  that  are  coming  up  in  every  genera- 
tion, and  to  apply  to  them,  in  view  of  an  intelligent 
community,  the  great  principles  of  religion.  Never 
were  more  such  questions  started  'than  in  this  age, 
and  never  was  there  more  need  of  studying  pro- 
foundly the  great  principles  of  religion,  by  those  who 
take  upon  themselves  to  be  the  guides  of  the  public 
mind. 

Great  questions  of  liberty,  of  government,  of  edu- 
cation, of  freedom  of  thought,  of  temperance,  of  the 
right  to  the  Bible,  of  exclusiveness,  of  war  and  peace, 
of  the  social  organization,  of  the  adaptation  of  the 
Christian  religion  to  man,  are  the  points  which  this 
age,  as  such,  are  looking  at. 

(c)  But  further.  A  preacher  should  not  only  be 
able  to  appreciate  his  age,  and  to  come  up  to  it  in 
adapting  his  instructions  to  the  great  questions  which 
are  started  in  the  times  in  which  he  lives,  but  he 
stould  be  in  advance  of  his  age.  He  should  be  able 
intelligently   to  take  positions  to  which  society  in  iti 


THE  RELATION  OF  THEOLOGY  TO  PREACHING.   281 

progress  has  not  yet  come  np,  but  which  it  will  most 
certainly  reach  in  its  onward  progress.  He  should 
be  able  to  throw  himself  into  the  future,  and,  taking 
his  stand  on  great  principles  which  are  to  live  in  all 
times,  and  which  are  yet  to  be  regarded  as  settled 
principles,  he  should  be  prepared  to  defend  them,  and 
to  do  what  in  him  lies  to  bring  the  world  to  embrace 
them.  There  are  not  a  few  such  in  the  Bible: — in 
the  comparatively  unexplored  views  of  divine  truth, 
which  are  to  be  wrought  out,  and  which  are  to  make 
the  world  what  it  is  yet  to  be.  Whether  those  posi, 
tions  have  been  held  in  the  past  or  not;  whether  his 
own  age  adopts  and  practices  on  them  or  not,  he  who 
preaches  the  theology  of  the  Bible  should  defend 
them,  and  should  be  able  to  show  what  important 
changes  the  fair  application  of  the  principles  of  the 
New  Testament  would  make  in  the  world  The  men 
who  have  done  much  for  the  race  have  gone  in  ad. 
vance  of  their  age  ;  they  have  maintained  positions, 
often  in  the  midst  of  much  persecution,  which  soci 
ety  has  not  yet  reached,  but  to  which  it  was  destined 
yet  to  come,  and  have  shown  their  greatness  and 
their  sagacity,  and  their  acquaintance  with  the  oracles 
of  truth,  by  being  able  to  take  such  advanced  posi* 
tions,  and  by  holding  and  defending  them  in  the  face 
of  the  sneers  and  the  frowns  of  the  world.  Such 
men  were  Luther  and  Knox  ;  such  men  were  the  Pur- 
itans and  Pilgrims ;  such  a  man  in  relation  to  the 
rights  of  conscience,  to  war  and  slavery,  was  Wil- 
liam Penn.  Thus,  now,  we  are  to  take  our  stations 
on  the  watch-towers,  and  defend  not  only  what  has 
been  defended,  and  maintain  not  only  what  has  been 
24* 


282      THE  RELATION  OF  THEOLOGY  TO  PREACHING. 

inwrought  into  the  texture  of  society,  but  we  are  to 
search  out  and  maintain  those  great  principles  which 
will  prevail  in  the  world's  nriillennium,  and  to  which^ 
though  slowly,  yet  most  certainly,  the  world  is  advan- 
cing. The  theology  to  be  preached  is  not  only  that 
which  has  been  settled  as  true  in  past  times  by  expe^ 
rience ;  not  only  that  which  is  fitted  to  the  great 
questions  of  these  times,  but  that  which  will  be  fitted 
to  the  state  of  the  world  when  society  shall  have 
made  its  highest  progress,  and  shall  have  reached  the 
point  on  which  the  eyes  of  prophets  and  apostles 
were  fixed. 

I  had  designed  to  have  made  some  remarks  on 
another  point,  by  showing  that  the  theology  which  is 
to  be  preached,  should  be  in  accordance  with  the  dis- 
closures of  science  ;  and  that  the  minister  of  religion 
should  be  able  to  show  that  the  system  which  he  de- 
fends is  not  antagonistic  with  what  is  revealed  by  the 
blowpipe,  the  crucible,  and  the  telescope  ;  that  noth- 
ing is  gained  in  the  end  by  making  war  on  such  men 
as  Galileo,  and  that  much  is  lost  by- leaving  it  prob- 
lematical in  the  view  of  the  world  whether  the  friends 
of  the  Christian  revelation  can  hold  their  system  con- 
sistently with  the  revelations  of  science. 


CHAPTER  XLTL 

DOCTRINES  ADAPTED  TO  AWAKEN  AND  CONVICT. 

[EXTRACTS.] 

Rev.  Albert  Barnes. 

« 

Why  are  not  men  in  greater  number  more  seriously 
awakened  and  convicted  on  the  subject  of  religion  ? 
The  reason  why  men  do  not  feel  their  guilt,  is  found 
in  the  fact,  that  they  have  different  views  of  sin  from 
those  of  God.  He  commands  renentence  on  the 
ground  of  what  He  believes  to  be  the  human  charac- 
ter, and  repentance  naturally  results  from  the  sinner^s 
enteitaining  the  same  views.  When  our  feelings  co- 
incide with  those  of  God,  it  is  impossible  but  that 
men  should  repent.  Yet  on  no  subject  do  men  differ 
more  from  their  maker,  than  in  this.  He  has  declared 
His  views  in  every  possible  form.  No  man  can  mis- 
take what  God  thinks  of  him,  if  he  will  give  credit  to 
his  declarations!  He  has  expressed  views  of  every 
man  which  no  human  law,  and  no  poetic  description, 
has  ever  expressed  of  the  worst  of  men. 

To  charge  a  man  with  being  a  hater  of  God,  is  to 
sum  up  all  crimes  in  one ;  and  beyond  that  charge 
you  cannot  go.     Yet,  God  has  charged  this  in  man. 


284   DOCTEINES  ADAPTED  TO  AWAKEN  AND  CONVICT. 

He  has  done  it  not  as  an  abstract  and  cold  proceed- 
ing ;  not  as  a  matter  of  poetry,  romance,  or  declama- 
tion ;  not  merely  to  produce  to  terror,  but  as  the  re- 
sult of  his  profound  knowledge  of  the  human  heart, 
and  of  the  secret  deeds  of  every  rnau.  He  has  done 
it,  too,  in  the  most  solemn  and  tender  manner.  In 
the  midst  of  judgments,  in  his  threatenings,  in  his 
promises,  in  the  dying  groans  and  agonies  of  his  own 
Son. 

While  men  diflfer  from  their  maker,  "  far  as  from 
the  center  thrice  to  the  utmost  pole,"  while  they  re- 
gard sin  as  a  trifle ;  hell  as  an  arbitrary  appointment, 
a  place  of  holy  martyrdom  in  the  cause  of  injured  in- 
nocence ;  and  the  scenes  of  Calvary  as  a  pompous 
show,  our  unmeaning  displays,  and  a  gorgeous  parade, 
they  will  not  repent.  This  single  reason  would  ac- 
count for  the  fact  that,  men  will  not  repent  of  their 
sins.  The  power  of  the  mind  to  which  the  system  of 
divine  truth  adapts  itself  is  that  of  conscience.  Its 
province  is  not  to  communicate  truth,  but  to  coin- 
cide with  it  and  press  it  with  convicting  power  on 
the  mind  It  seems  almost  to  be  an  independent 
agent,  which  Grod  has  fitted  up  for  the  special  designs 
or  moral  government — answering  the  purposes  of  an 
ever  present  divinity  : — using  the  language  which  God 
himself  would  u?e  ;  and  performing  the  office  which 
the  divinity  would  perform,  if  he  attended  us  every 
moment,  spoke  in  our  hstening  ears  in  solitude,  or 
when  allured  by  the  world,  or  when  under  the  influ- 
ence of  mighty  and  infatuating  passions.  It  performs 
to  men  that  office  which  Socrates  fabled  to  be  per- 
formed by  his  attending  genius. 


DOCTRINES  ADAPTED  TO  AWAKEN  AND  CONVICT.     285 

There  is  no  more  striking  proof  of  God's  power 
and  wisdom,  than  in  placing  this  tremendous  wisdom 
in  any  part  of  his  moral  government;  and  in  mak- 
ing the  guilty  mind  to  be  its  own  tormentor  and  exe- 
cutioner. Its  power — its  full  power  has  not  yet  been 
known.  Intimations  of  its  terrible  inflictions  have 
been  given  in  this  world,  just  enough  to  tell  us  what 
it  mny  be  in  hell.  Again,  man  is  a  creature  of  emo- 
tions^ of  hopes,  and  fears,  and  love  ;  susceptible  of 
pain,  and  joy ;  of  anxiety,  or  sorrow  ;  seeking  peace 
here,  and  capable  of  immortal  joys  in  another  world. 
The  gospel  addresses  itself  to  all  these;  and  it  is  the 
gospel  alone  which  meets  them  fully.  The  utmost 
power  of /ear  may  be  felt  when  a  man  looks  at  an 
eternal  hell.  The  farthest  limit  of  hope  may  be  met 
when  he  looks  at  an  eternal  heaven.  All  the  desires 
of  sympathy,  friendship,  love,  may  be  gratified  in  the 
prospect  of  an  eternal  heaven.  The  utmost  intensity 
of  love  may  be  exhausted  in  the  effort  to  love  God. 
And  all  the  mightiest  powers  of  the  soul  may  be  sum" 
moned  in  an  effort  to  understand  the  works  and  word 
of  God  and  to  do  his  will.  How  does  his  heaving 
bosom,  and  the  last  kindliui^  of  his  eye.  and  the  last 
sighs  of  ambition  show  that  he  has  never  found  what 
was  adapted  to  all  the  original  propensities  of  men. 
niat  is  the  gospel  of  the  blessed  God — the  voice  of 
pardon  the  hopes  of  immortality.  There  the  mind  re- 
poses and  is  at  ease.  There,  like  the  weary  traveler 
at.  the  end  of  his  journey,  not  among  strangers,  but 
at  last  at  home  it  finds  that  which  meets  his  demands ; 
nor  is  there  a  desire  of  happiness,  or  peace ;  a  sus- 
ceptibility of  hope,  of  fancy,  of  friendship,  of  love,  of 


286    DOCTEINES  ADAPTED  TO  AWAKEN  AND  CONVICT. 

botindless  wishes,  that  is  not  fully  met  by  the  gospel 
of  God,  acd  the  looking  forward  to  immortality. 

When  man  feels  this,  he  weeps  over  the  sins  which 
so  long  shut  it  from  his  view,  and  repents  and  turns 
to  God.  He  reclines  his  head  on  his  redeemer's  bos- 
om, and  every  desire  is  satisfied,  and  he  calmly  waits 
his  change.  Further  to  man  the  gospel  comes  with 
all  the  terrors  and  the  demands  of  law.  The  thun- 
ders of  Sinai,  were  preliminary  to  the  designs  of  ttie 
gospel.  They  denounce,  for  the  purpose  of  arousing 
men  to  seek  for  mercy. 

The  law  was  a  schoolmaster  to  lead  us  to  Christ* 
It  is  designed  to  affect  the  hearts  of  men  with  a  con" 
sciousness  of  guilt,  that  they  may  be  led  to  seek  for 
pardon.  Men  are  called  upon  to  repent  by  all  the 
evils  of  violated  laws  ;  by  all  its  solemn  and  awful 
claims  ;  by  the  beauty  and  order  which  obeyed  law 
would  confer  on  the  universe.  That  law,  if  obeyed, 
would  have  diffused  peace  and  happiness  in  all  worlds. 
That  law  broken,  has  been  the  source  o/all  our  woes, 
and  is  now  the  great  terrifier  of  men  in  view  of  future 
calamities. 

Man  may  be  made  to  feel  that  this  law  is  right. 
His  reason,  his  conscience,  his  fears,  may  all  be  rous- 
ed, and  his  eye  be  fixed  on  the  terrors  of  justice,  and 
the  pains  of  hell,  till  he  trembles,  turns  pale,  and  his 
heart  sinks  within  him  at  the  remembrance  of  his 
sins.  Yet  Ihat  man  should  hear  those  truths;  and 
see  that  law ;  and  be  fixed  in  contemplation  of  them, 
is  indespensable  in  order  that  they  may  see  their  guilt. 
And  we  come  to  men  with  this  advantage — present- 
ing a  law  which  conscience  approves,  and  whose  pen. 


DOCTEINES  ADAPTED  TO  AWAKEN  AND  CONVICT.      287 

alty  has  been  fixed  by  the  unerring  decision  of.  the 
wisest  mind  in  the  universe.  When  a  man  sees  that 
he  has  injured  a  friend  or  a  benefactor,  he  will  weep. 
When  a  child  is  made  conscious  that  he  has  violated 
the  law  of  a  parent,  and  that  that  law  is  good,  he  will 
weep.  When  a  fellon  feels  that  he  has  injured  his 
country  ;  that  he  has  aimed  a  blow  at  its  interests  ; 
that  in  violating  law,  he  has, aimed  a  stab  at  all  which 
gives  to  his  felWw  men  security  of  property,  reputa- 
tion, or  life ;  when  a  man  can  be  made  to  see  that, 
you  have  found  the  way  to  bring  him  to  repentance. 
And  when  to  all  this  you  add  the  higher  laws  of  the 
universe,  you  have  completed  the  pressure  on  the 
man's  conscience,  and  the  mighty  sinner  miust  bow 
before  God  and  bewail  his  crimes. 

And  here  we  may  remark,  that  the  goepel  owes 
much  of  its  success  in  modern  times,  to  the  doctrine 
of  the  hnmediate  ohligation  of  man  to  obey  that  law. 
In  the  preaching  of  the  most  successful  ministers,  and 
in  the  revivals  of  religion  which  have  characterized 
this  age  and  land,  this  doctrine  has  more  prominently 
than  any  other  been  kept  before  the  view.  Nor  is  it 
known,  that  any  marked  success  has  attended  any 
other  preaching  than  that  which  is  based  on  this  doc- 
trine. This  I  regard  as  the  cardinal  point ;  the  limit 
which  separates  schools  of  divinity ;  and  draws  the 
boundaries  around  the  places  where  Grod  eminently 
blesses  the  ministry.  Let  a  man  honestly  and  fully 
press  this  point,  and  on  other  subjects  of  practical 
preaching,  he  will  not  be  likely  to  go  wrong.  It  was 
this  which  was  connected  with  the  prototype  and 
grand    exemplar    of  all    true    revivals   of    religion, 


288    DOCTEINES  ADAPTED  TO  AWAKEN  AND  CONVICT. 

on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  And  the  reason  of  this 
fact  is  easily  understood.  Leave  a  man  with  the 
impression,  that  it  is  not  his  duty  now  to  repent 
and  believe,  but  that  it  may  he  at  some  future  time, 
or  under  some  more  favorable  influence  from  heaven, 
and  you  send  a  paralysis  through  his  whole  moral 
frame.  No  man  will  feel  it  and  no  man  will  care 
about  future  duty.  No  man  will  tremble  or  be  alarm- 
ed unless  he  feels  that  he  is  guilty  noiv  and  now  bound 
to  obey.  On  a  sinner's  soul  there  is  now  pressing  all 
the  elements  of  obligation  that  can  sink  it  down  in 
any  future  scenes.  Duty  relates  not  to  the  luture. 
It  presses  now  ;  and  that  amazing  pressure  the  sin- 
ner must  be  made  to  feel,  or  must  jeopard  the  eternal 
interests  of  his  soul. 

Still  further,  the  gospel,  in  the  sufferings  and  death' 
of  Jesus  Christ,  has  exhausted  all  the  appeals  which 
can  be  made  to  mens'  sensibilities  to  make  them  feel 
their  guilt.  It  comes  in  at  the  end  of  law  ;  and  when 
all  other  topics  of  persuasion,  have  been  found  to  be 
ineffectual. 

For  four  thousand  years,  in  Pagan  and  Jewish  lands, 
law  had  uttered  its  denunciations  almost  in  vain.  God 
had  exhausted  the  forms  of  those  appeals  in  the  ter- 
rors of  Sinai,  the  inflictions  of  a  guilty  conscience  ; 
and  the  threatening  of  hell.  Men  were  guilty — they 
felt  it — knew  it.  They  mocked  him  with  vain  obla- 
tions ;  holy  hands,  and  then  returned  to  their  pollu- 
tion. It  became  needful  that  some  other  plan  should 
be  tried  to  see  whether  men  could  be  made  so  effec- 
tually to  see  their  guilt,  and  ill-desert,  as  to  hate  it, 
and  abandon  it.     That  plan  is  what  was  expressed  in 


DOCTRINES  ADAPTED  TO  AWAKEN  4ND  CONVICT.    289 

the  cross  of  Christ.  The  essence  of  that  plan  consists 
in  man's  being  made  to  see  an  innocent  Being  suffer- 
ing unutterable  agonies  in  his  stead,  and  as  the  prop- 
er expression  of  his  crime.  Now  the  value  of  that 
plan  may  be  seen  by  supposing,  that  human  law  had. 
some  such  device. 

One  thing  strikes  every  man  in  going  into  a  court 
of  justice.  It  is  that  criminal,  who  knows  his  guilt, 
and  who  may  expect  to  die,  is  so  unmoved  by  the 
scene,  and  the  danger;  and  especially  that  he  seems 
to  have  so  little  sense  of  the  evil  of  the  crime  for 
which  he  is  to  die.  One  reason  is,  that  there  is  little 
in  the  law  that  will  make  him  feel  ;  and  less  in  the 
proceedings.  His  mind  is  taken  off  from  his  guilt,  by 
the  technicalities  of  the  law  ;  by  the  contests  of  ad- 
vocates ;  by  the  discrepancies  of  witnesses  ;  often  by 
the  coldness  and  want  of  feeling  in  the  judge,  the  jury 
and  hardened  spectators.  But  suppose  there  could 
be  placed  in  full  view,  where  the  man  alone  could  see 
it,  some  innocent  being  voluntarily  suffering  what  his 
crime  deserved — illustrating  on  the  rock,  or  amid 
flames  just  what  he  ought  to  suffer,  and  bearing  this 
so  patiently,  so  mildly,  as  he  sank  into  the  arms  of 
death,  as  to  be  the  highest  expression  of  pure  friend- 
ship. Suppose  this  was  the  brother  or  the  father  of 
the  man  he  had  slain,  and  that  the  dying  man  should 
tell  him  thf.t  he  bore  this  to  show  the  importance  of 
maintaining  violated  laws,  and  that  hut  for  these  suf- 
ferings the  guilty  wretch  could  not  be  saved  from 
death,  and  how  much  more  affecting  would  be  tl  i^, 
than  the  mere  dryness  of  statutes,  and  the  pleadings 

of  counsels,  and  the  charge  of  the  judge-     You  may 
25 


290   DOCTEINES  ADAPTED  TO  AWAKEN  AND  CONVICT. 

find  here,  perhaps,  a  slight  illustration  of  the  princi- 
ple on  which  the  gospel  acts.  Law  had  tried  its  pow- 
er in  vain,  and  the  only  effectual  scheme  is  to  place 
before  the  sinner  the  innocent  Lamb  of  God,  bleeding 
for  his  sins. 

Thus  it  was  said  of  him:  '^  He  shall  be  set  for  the 
fall  and  rising  again  of  many  in  Israel,  and  for  a  sign 
to  be  spoken  against,"  that  thereby  the  thoughts  of 
many  hearts  may  be  revealed.  And  thus,  also,  it  was 
prophesied  :  '^  They  shall  look  upon  him  whom  they 
have  pierced  ;  and  shall  mourn."  Hence  the  apostles 
met  with  such  success;  whose  preaching  was  a  little 
more  than  a  simple  statement  of  the  truth  that  Je^us 
died  and  rose.  And  however  it  is  to  be  accounted 
for,  it  is  this  which  has  in  all  ages  been  attended  with 
the  convictions  of  guilt  among  men.  Gosner,  the 
celebrated  Bavarian  Catholic  priest,  at  present  a 
protestant  clergyman  in  Berlin,  who  has  probably  been 
the  means  of  the  immediate  conversion  of  more  souls 
than  any  man  living,  is  said  seldom  to  vary  in  his 
manner  of  preaching.  The  love  of  Christ  is  almost 
his  constant  theme,  and  his  preaching  is  almost  a  con- 
stant pointing  out  of  the  warm  effusions  of  the  heart 
in  the  love  of  God,  the  preciousness  of  the  Saviour, 
and  the  desirableness  of  heaven. 

The  affecting  experience  of  the  Moravian  mission- 
aries in  Greenland  is  well  known.  For  many  years 
they  endeavored  to  teach  the  benighted  Pagans  the 
existence  and  attributes  of  God,  and  the  doctrines  of 
retribution.  Never  was  the  work  more  unsuccessful 
than  this.  The  heart  of  the  Greenlander,  cold  as  his 
own  snowS;  was  unmoved ;   and  the  missionaries  ap- 


DOCTRINES  ADAPTED  TO  AWAKEN  AND  CONVICT.     291 

\  peared  to  toil  in  vain.  On  one  occasion  it  happened 
that  one  of  them  read  in  the  hearing  of  a  savage  the 
account  of  the  Saviour's  sufferings  in  the  garden  and 
on  the  cross.  ''How  is  this,"  said  one  of  the  savages, 
"tell  me  it  once  more,  for  I  would  be  saved"— and 
laid  his  hand  on  his  mouth  and  wept.  Here  was 
learned,  almost  by  accident,  the  great  secret  of  their 
success  in  the  world.  Pere  was  illustrated  anew  the 
principle  of  the  gospel,  adapted  to  all  ages  and  peo 
pie,  that  the  account  of  a  suffering  Redeemer,  is  to 
be  the  grand  means  of  teaching  sinners  everywhere 
their  guilt;  and  of  drawing  forth  tears  of  repentance 
from  eyes,  that,  but  for  this,  would  never  weep. 

One  other  mode  consists  in  bringing  before  a  man, 
so  thet  he  must  see  it,  the  trenneitdoiis  scenes  of  the 
fud'jment.  We  must  diminish  the  apparent  journey 
which  he  has  to  tread,  and  place  him  amid  the  scenes 
of  the  judgment  day.  This  help  religion  famishes  to 
bring  guilty  men  to  repentance.  It  assures  us  that 
we  shall  be  there  ;  and  that  that  tribunal  is  a  place 
where  the  sinner  must  feel.  You,  perhaps,  have 
marked  in  a  court  of  justice,  some  guilty  man,  who 
at  the  beginning  of  his  trial,  assnmed  the  Stoic,  and 
was  bold,  and  apparently  unconcerned.  Yet,  you  have 
marked  the  change  in  the  man  when  the  witnesses 
have  been  called  ;  when  one  circumstance  after  anoth- 
er has  pointed  at  his  guilt ;  when  an  argument  to  con- 
demn him  might  already  have  been  made  out.  And 
you  may  have  marked  the  cloud  on  his  brow,  and  the 
paleness  on  his  cheek,  when  he  sees  some  witness  ad- 
vance deliberately,  who  he  knows  is  acquainted  with 
his  guilt,  who  he  hoped  or  believed    would    not  have 


292     DOCTEINES  ADAPTED  TO  AWAKEN  AND  CONVICT. 

been  there,  and  who  now  solemnly  swears  to  declare 
the  whole  truth.  His  last  refuge  has  failed,  and  he 
must  die.  So  the  sinner  must  be  made  to  draw  near 
to  the  judgment.  His  delusions  and  evasions  must 
be  swept  away.  He  must  be  borne  onward,  and 
must  look  at  those  scenes.  Time,  and  friends,  and 
pleasures,  and  honors,  must  be  made  to  leave  him — 
and  he  must  be  shut  up  and  ejicompassed  in  the  still, 
solemn  scenes,  where  conscience  shall  no  more  be  si- 
lent; where  the  eye  of  the  all  seeing  Judge  shall  be 
witness  enough  of  guilt;  and  where  he  must  stand 
riveted  by  that  eye,  quailing  beneath  its  piercing,  hor- 
ror stricken  at  an  opening  hell ;  and  amidst  that  vast 
multitude,  trembling  by  himself — surrounded  by  num- 
berless millions,  yet  weeping  apart.  All  this  powder 
the  gospel  wields  ;  and  with  this,  it  intends  to  press 
on  the  soul  till  the  haughty  man  is  bowed  down ;  and 
the  hardened  man  melts  into  tears,  and  the  profligate 
man  trembles  in  view  of  jndgment  and  of  helL  We 
see  here  what  makes  death  so  teriible  to  a  sinner. 
The  mask  is  then  off.  The  world  recedes  and  appears 
as' it  is.  Its  delusions  have  vanished.  The  mist  is 
gone,  and  the  naked  soul,  the  conscience,  the  feelings, 
the  apprehensions,  are  laid  bare  to  the  insufferable 
blaze  of  truth,  ane  the  piercings  of  the  eye  of  God. 
The  tossed  sinner  cannot  help  himself  then.  There  is 
no  delusion;  no  new  mist;  no  cavern  there;  no  far- 
projecting  rock;  no  way  to  silence  the  voice,  or  turn 
away  the  eye  of  God.  Thus  it  is  everywhere.  The 
sinner  dying,  may  roll  and  toss,  but  the  eye  of  God  is 
there — everywhere— just  as  bright,  as  keen,  as  riving 
— as  justice  and  indignation    can    make  it —  and  as  it 


DOCTRINES  ADAPTED  TO  AWAKEN  AND  OONVIOT.     293 

will  be,  an  eternal  hell.  And  there  too,  is  a  finger 
mysteriously  raoviag  on  the  wall,  nor  can  he  turn 
from  that — and  writing  his  damnation.  The  man  is 
afraid  to  live,  and  afraid  to  die.  Verily,  it  is  a  fear- 
ful thing  to  die  a  sinner;  and  to  lie  in  such  a  death- 
bed as  that.  God  grant  that  no  sach  struggling  spir- 
it of  any  of  ray  readers,  may  go  to  the  judgment  seat 
of  the  eternal  God  ! 

"For  we  must  all  appear  before  the  judgment  seat 
of  Christ;  that  every  one  may  receive  the  things  done 
in  his  body,  according  to  that  he  hath  done,  whether 
it  be  good  or  bad. 

Knowing  therefore,  the  terror  of  the  Lord,  we  per- 
suade men  ;  but  we  are  made  manifest  unto  God,  and' 
I  trust  also  are  made  manifest  in  vour   consciences." 

Therefore,  we,  who  are  appointed  to  preach  the 
gospel,  having  the  fullest  assurance  of  the  terrors  of 
the  da}^  of  judgment,  and  of  the  wrath  of  God,  en- 
deavor to  persuade  men  to  be  prepared  to  meet  Him, 
and  to  give  up  their  account.  The  Lord  Jesus,  will 
be  seated  on  the  throne  of  judgment,  and  will  de- 
cide the  destiny  of  all  men.  Knowing  how  much 
the  Lord  is  to  be  feared  ;  what  an  object  of  terror 
and  alarm  it  will  be  to  stand  at  the  judgment  seatj 
bow  fearful  and  awful  will  be  the  consequences  of  the 
trial  of  that  day.  The  Lord  Jesus  will  be  an  ob- 
ject of  terror  and  alarm,  or  it  will  be  a  subject 
inspiring  terror  and  alarm  to  stand  there  on  that 
day  because  (1)  He  has  all  power,  and  is  appoint- 
ed to  execute  judgment ;  (2)  Because  all  must  there 
give  a  strict  and  impartial  account  of  all  that  they 
have   done;    (3)    Because  the    wrath  of  God  will  be 

23* 


294    DOCTKTNES  ADAPTED  TO  AWAKEN  AND  CONVICT. 

shown  in  the  condemnation  of  the  guilty.  It  will 
be  a  day  of  awful  wailing  and  alarm  when  all  the  liv- 
ing and  the  dead  shall  be  arraigned  on  trial  with  ref- 
erence to  their  eternal  destiny  ;  and  when  countless 
hosts  of  the  guilty  and  impenitent  shall  be  thrust 
down  to  an  eternal  hell.  Who  can  describe  the 
amazing  terror  of  the  scene  ?  Who  can  fancy  the 
horrors  of  the  hosts  of  the  guilty  and  the  wretched 
who  shall  then  hear  that  their  doom  is  to  be  fixed 
forever  in  a  world  of  unspeakable  wo  ?  Therefore, 
We  persuade  men.  We  endeavor  to  persuade  them  to 
flee  from  the  wrath  to  come  ;  to  be  prepared  to  stand 
before  the  judgment  seat,  and  to  be  fitted  to  enter 
^into  heaven;  we  endeavor  to  induce  them  by  all  the 
arts  of  persuasion  and  argument  to  flee  from  the 
wrath  to  come. 


CHAPTER   XLVIL 
IMPROVEMENTS    IN    THEOLOGY. 

(CONGREGATIONALIST.) 

By  Rev.  Enoch  Pond,  D.  D. 

We  live,  it  is  continually  said,  in  an  age  of  improve 
ment.     Tlie  world  moves,  and  while  everything  else  is 
going  forward,  why  should  theology  be  stationary  ?    Why 
may  we  not  expect  improvements  in  that,  as  well  as  in 
other  things  ? 

We  may  expect  improvements  in  theology.  But  how  ? 
In  what  respects  ?  In  what  ways  ?  Let  us  ascertain,  as 
well  as  we  can,  and  in  the  fewest  words  ;  'in  ivhat  respects 
our  theology  may  he  improved  or  changed. 

It  cannot  be  changed,  as  to  the  great  truths,  or  facts f 
which  go  to  constitute  it.  These  are  as  immutable  as 
the  great  facts  of  natural  science — as  immutable  as  the 
eternal  throne.  Among  these  facts  are  the  existence  and 
personal  attributes  and  perfections  of  God  ;  the  inspira- 
tion of  the  Scriptures  ;  the  facts  of  the  Trinity — the  One 
God  existing  in  three  distinct  and  equal  persons,  Father, 
Son,  and  Holy  Ghost ;  the  universal  purposes  and  provi. 
dence  of  God ;  the  natural  and  entire  depravity  of  ud- 
renewed  men ;  the  all  sufficiency  of  Christ,  and  of  the 


296  IMPROVEMENTS   IN  THEOLOGY. 

atonement  by  His  death  ;  tlie  necessity  of  regeneration  ; 
justification  by  faith  in  Christ ;  the  eternal  salvation  of 
all  true  believers ;  the  immortality  of  the  soul  ;  the 
resurrection  of  the  dead ;  the  final  and  general  judg-. 
ment ;  and  the  endless  retributions  of  reward  or  punish- 
ment which  lie  beyond  it.  These  facts  are  clear  ly  taught, 
some  of  them  by  the  light  of  nature,  and  all  of  them  in 
the  Bible,  and  are  essential  to  the  system  of  evangelical 
theology.  They  are  essential  to  the  gospel,  constitute 
the  gospel,  and,  as  facts,  can  never  be  removed  or 
changed.  Any  alleged  improvement  which  displaces 
these  great  facts,  or  either  of  them,  is  a  progress  back- 
ward— a  progress  tending,  not  to  edification,  but  to  dis- 
integration and  destruction.  "  Thy  truth  endureth  to 
all  generations." 

But  if  this  be  so,  it  will  be  asked :  What  room  for 
improvement  in  theology  ?  And  what  remains  to  the 
theological  student  but  to  use  the  same  form  of  words, 
and  run  in  the  same  ruts,  forever  ?  These  are  fair  ques- 
tions, and  I  will  attempt  to  answer  them. 

Although  the  great  facts  of  theology  cannot  be  removed 
or  changed,  there  may  be  improvement,  and  I  trust  there 
will  yet  be  great  improvement,  in  the  manner  of  stating, 
explaining,  guarding,  applying,  and  defending  them. 
New  light  may*  be  shed  upon  them,  their  mutual  con- 
nections and  dependencies  may  be  better  understood, 
and  they  may  be  used  to  better  purpose,  "  for  doctrine, 
for  reproof,  for  correction  and  instruction  in  righteous- 
ness." 

In  the  respects  here  mentioned,  there  have  already 
been  great  improvements  in  theology.  Any  one  may  be 
satisfied  of  this  who  will  compare  our  standard  theology 


IMPEOVEMENTS  IN  THEOLOGY.  297 

with  that  of  the  church  fathers.  The  early  fathers  of 
the  church,  though  of  great  importance  to  us  as  tvitnesses, 
were  miser;ible  theohjgians.  Whenever  they  went  be- 
yond the  pLain  language  of  Scripture — whenever  they 
undertook  to  restate  and  'philotiophize,  tbey  were  sure  to 
go  astray.  Much  improvement  has  been  made  in  the. 
manner  of  stating  and  explaning  the  doctrine  of  atone- 
ment, since  the  days  of  Origen  and  his  follower?,  who 
represented  the  death  of  Christ  as  a  ransom  to  Satan ; 
and  also  since  the  time  of  Anselm,  who  represented  it  as 
the  payment  of  a  debt.  Our  theology  has  been  im- 
proved, in  some  of  its  statements,  since  the  time  of 
Luther  and  Calvin,  making  it  more  conformable  to 
Scripture,  better  adapting  it  to  human  want^,  and  ren- 
dering it  more  effectual  in  the  salvation  of  souls. 

And  as  there  have  been  improvements  in  theology  in 
times  past,  without  disturbing  any  of  its  great  facts  and 
principles,  so,  1  "trust,  tliere  may  be  in  time  to  come.  I 
fully  sympathize  with  John  Robinson  in  the  belief  that 
**  more  light  may  yet  break  forth  out  of  God's  Holy 
Word  " — not  to  contradict  what  that  Word  has  already 
settled,  or  to  subvert  any  of  the  great  truths  of  the 
gospel — but  to  show  them  in  fairer  and  better  lights, 
and  make  them  more  effective  in  their  savino-  influence. 
In  the  progress  of  study  and  improvement,  the  truths  of 
the  Gospel  may  be  more  accurately  defined  ;  apparent 
difficulties  may  be  cleared  away  ;  objections  may  be 
obviated  ;  and  the  defences  of  the  Bible  and  its  doc- 
trines may  be  strengthened.  Help  in  this  matter  may 
be  gained,  not  only  from  the  labors  of  critics  and  theo- 
logians, but  b}^  advances  in  the  natural  sciences.  Much 
light  has  broken  forth  already,  and  more  may  be  expec- 


298        IMPROVEMENTS  IN   THEOLOGY. 

ted,  from  the  researches  of  the  sreologrist,  the  tombs  of 
the  Pharaohs,  the  relics  of  ruined  cities,  and  explora- 
tions in  the  holy  land. 

Especially  do  I  hope  that  there  may  be  gy^eat  im- 
proveinent  in  the  mode  of  presenting  the  truths  of  the 
Gospel,  so  as  to  give  them  increased  ptoiuer  and  effect. 
In  themselves,  these  truths  are  of  the  most  arousing, 
heartstirring  character.  They  are  like  "  the  fire  and 
the  hammer  which  break  the  rock  iu  pieces."  And 
though  their  efficiency  depends  ultimately  on  the  prom- 
ised aids  of  the  Spirit,  yet  much  also  depends  on  the 
feeling  and  manner  with  which  they  are  presented. 
They  may  be  so  presented  as  to  repel  and  harden ;  and 
they  may  be  so  presented  as  to  melt  and  subdue.  There 
is  room  for  great  improvement  here  ;  and  my  expecta- 
tion is,  that  as  we  approach  the  millennium,  great  im- 
provements, in  this  respect,  may  be  realized. 

But  in  attempting  the  improvements  at  which  I  have 
hinted,  one  caution  is  to  be  strictly  observed.  In  our 
attempts  to  clear  away  rubbish,  and  make  better  expla- 
nations of  Gospel  truths,  we  must  be  sure  we  do  not 
explain  them  away.  That  there  is  great  danger  in  this 
direction,  no  one  at  all  acquainted  with  the  history  of 
G jd's  church  can  doubt.  Most  of  the  fatal  subversions 
of  Christian  doctrines  have  been  caused  in  this  way. 
They  have  grown  out  of  futile  attempts  to  explain  these 
doctrines,  and  make  them  more  acceptable  to  the  carnal 
mind  and  heart.  The  doctrine  of  God  has  been  ex- 
plained away  into  pantheism,  and  a  mere  figure  of  speech. 

The  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  has  been  explained  away 
into  Sabellianism,  Arianism,  Socinianism,  and  infidelity. 
The  atonement  has  been  explained  away  to  a  shadow ; 


IMPEOVEMENTS  IN  THEOLOGY.        299 

and  regeneration  to  a  gradual  improvement  of  life. 
There  must  be,  I  repeat,  the  strictest  watchfulness  on 
this  point.  The  great  facts  of  the  Gospel,  as  before 
stated,  must  be  held  with  an  unflinching  hand  ;  and  the 
result  of  all  our  attempted  im23rovements  must  be,  not 
to  blink  them  out  of  sight,  but  to  set  them  forth  with 
increased  vividness  and  prominence  ;  not  to  rob  them  of 
their  saving  power,  but  to  make  it  more  searching  and 
effective.  Thus  may  the  Gospel  go  forth  in  its  strength 
and  brio^htness,  till  all  the  nations  are  blest  with  its 
influence,  and  all  flesh  shall  see  the  salvation  of  God. 


CHAPTER   XLVIII. 
PREACHING    CHRIST. 

(AUTHORIZED  ABSTRACT.) 

Bishop  Charles  P.  McIlvaine. 

*^Go  preacJt  the  gospel,''  is  the  substance  of  our  Lord's 
com'inission  to  his  oninisters. 

And  the  apostles  so  understood  Him,  that  they 
"ceased  not  to  teach  and  preach  Jesus  Christ."  Re- 
garding it  as  the  central  point  of  all  strictly  evangelic 
cal  p)reachingj  they  testify  :  '^  We  preach  Christ  cru- 
cified.^^ 

Thus  we  liavQ  our  lesson  and  example. 

In  the  way  they  preached,  so  must  we  endeavor  to 
preach  the  glorious  gospel  of  the  blessed  God,  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  His  work  of  justification  by 
his  righteousness,  through  faith,  and  of  sanctification 
by  his  spirit  through  faith.  When  we  preach  the 
law,  with  its  searching  and  strict  application  and  fear- 
ful penalty,  it  must  be  as  our  school  master,  to  bring 
us  unto  Christ,  that  w^e  may  be  justified  by  faith  and 
not  by  works. 

But  more  specifically,  we  may  enquire  :  ^^What  is 
it  to  preach  Christ '}  " 


PREACHING  CHRIST.  301 

We  have  a  great  example,  our  Lord^s  own  teaching. 
It  is  written  that  after  His  resurrection,  meeting  His 
disciples,  beginning  at  Moses  and  all  the  prophets,  He 
expounded  unto  them,  in  all  the  Scriptures,  the  things 
concerning  Himself.  We,  therefore,  must  teach  sin- 
ners to  know  Christ,  and  to  count  all  things  but  lost 
for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Him. 

He  is  the  central  point  of  a  vast  system  of  grace, 
around  'which  there  is  a  circle  of  doctrines,  and  duties, 
and  promises,  mutically  dependent  upon  Him  and  each 
other.  That  system,  like  that  of  our  sun,  has  a  centre 
by  which  all  the  parts  are  held  in  place,  from  which 
all  their  light  and  life  proceeds,  and  around  which  all 
revolve. 

Now,  what  is  the  best  method  of  setting  forth  this 
system  of  divine  grace  ? 

We  should  begin  by  directing  the  sinner ,  conscious  of 
guilt  and  ruin,  to  the  Lamb  of  God. 

"  For  I  delivered  unto  you,  first  of  all,"  said  St. 
Paul,  ^'that  which  also  I  received,  how  that  Christ 
died  for  our  sins,  according  to  the  Scriptures."  We 
tnust  "expound  in  all  the  Scriptures  the  things  con- 
cerning Himself." 

We  must  preach  Christ  in  His  essential  glory,  His 
divinity  and  humanity,  ^^equal  luith  God*^ — 'Hhe  man, 
Christ  Jesus," — not  only  His  atoning  death,  but  His 
perfect,  exemplary  life.  We  must  remember  that 
"He  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost,  seeing  He  ever 
liveth  to  make  intercessions  for  us." 

As  we   preach  a  glorified,  risen  Saviour,  we  must 

proclaim  His  supreme  authority,    in  receiving    His 
26 


302  PREACHING  CHRIST. 

redeemed  children  to  heavenly  felicity,  and  in  casting 
rejectors  of  His  gospel  down  to  hell. 

In  all  the  tenderness  of  His  invitations  and  prom- 
ises to  penitent  sinners,  He  still  threatens  the  rebel- 
lions and  wicked  with  the  consequences  of  sin.  He 
points  them  to  "the  great  day  of  the  wrath  of  the 
Lamhy 

He  should  also  be  preached  as  being  Himself  in 
His  glory  and  communion,  the  htaven  of  His  people. 
His  promise  to  them  is :  ''I  will  come  again  and 
receive  you  to  myself;  that  where  I  am,  there  ye  may 
be  also." 

We  must  also  preach  His  ever-present,  personal 
ministry  in  and  to  His  Church  on  earth.  He  is  the 
good  Shepherd  who  calleth  every  one  of  His  flock 
by  name  and  leadeth  him  out.  O,  what  a  help  and 
comfort  it  is  to  know  that  we  have  His  living,  loving, 
all-powerful  presence  ! 

We  must  preach,  too,  the  fullness  and  freeness  of 
His  offers  of  salvation.     The  light  of  the   sun  is  not 
more  free  to  every  man  that  cometh  into   the  world, 
than  is  the  salvation    of   Jesus  to    every   believing 
sinner. 

Again,  we  must  preach  Christ,  not  only  as  our 
Hghteousness,  but  as  our  sanctification. 

The  beginning  of  sanctification  is  to  be  born  again 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  But  how  shall  we  speak  of  so 
great  a  spiritual  change,  without  speaking  with  equal 
stress  of  Him  who  produced  it.  Jesus  said  of  the  Ho- 
ly Ghost:  "He  shall  take  of  mine  and  show  it  unto 
you.  He  shall  quicken  your  mortal  bodies  by  His 
spirit  that  dwelleth  in  you. 


PEEACHING  CHRIST.  S03 

We  must  also  preach  Christ  as  a  gracious  Saviour. 
For  it  is  written,  'By  grace  are  ye  saved,  through 
faith  ;  and  that  not  of  yourselves ;  it  is  the  gift  of 
God;  not  of  works  lest  any  man  should  boast.  For 
we  are  his  workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto 
good  works." 

Therefore  we  must  preach  such  good  luorks,  first, 
as  absolutely  excluded  from  having  any  part  in  pro- 
curing our  justification  before  God;  secondly,  as 
essential  fruits  and  evidences  of  our  having  obtained 
such  justification. 

Further,  we  read  of  "  the  goodness  and  severity  of 
GodJ^  "We  beseech  you,"  says  the  apostle,  "  by  the 
mercies  of  God  ;"  and  again,  "Knowing  the  terror  of 
the  Lordj  we  jpersuade  men  ;"  the  love  of  God  in 
Christ  as  a  Saviour,  and  the  wrath  of  God  in  Christ 
as  a  judge  of  quick  and  dead  —  a  cloud  of  light 
and  a  cloud  of  darkness,  each  proceeding  from  the 
Cross  as  accepted  or  rejected.  We  must  do  all  in 
teiidernessj  but  all  in  faithfulness . 

From  what  has  now  been  said,  we  learn  that  in 
confining  our  preaching  to  so  great  an  extent  to 
Christ,  we  are  not  circuniscribed.  ]n  reality,  we  have 
in  preaching  Christ  crucified,  the  luhole  vast  range  of 
truth — of  natural  and  revealed  religion.  You  may 
take  truth  from  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the 
cross,  or  from  the  farthest  domain  of  Christianity, 
and  when  its  just  relation  to  Christ  and  his  redemp- 
tion is  exhibited,  Christ  is  preached.  Thus,  there  is 
no  reason  why,  in  the  most  faithful  ministry,  there 
may  not  be  abundant  variety  of  topics  of  instruction. 

The  sermon  may  be  always  shining  in  the  light  of 


804  PREACHING   CHEIST.' 

our  glorious  Lord,  while  receiving  it  either  by  direct 
looking  unto  Him,  or  indirectly  from  secondary  ob- 
jects, which  as  satellites  of  the  sun,  revolve  around 
Him  and  shine  in  His  glory.  It  may  in  all  its  spirit 
and  tendency  say :  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God." 

In  closing,  I  observe  that  in  order  to  preach  Christ 
with  effect,  the  minister  must  be  thorough  in  faith» 
Although  the  results  of  preaching  should  not  immedi- 
ately appear,  it  must  not  be  diluted  with  any  subter- 
fuges or  devices  of  men's  wisdom.  The  minister 
must  believe  that  God  will  bless  as  his  own  "His 
wisdom  and  power  unto  salvation."  For  we  preach 
not  ourselves,  but  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord. 

We  must  not  change  the  'message  to  gratify  the  de- 
pravity of  men.  "We  believe  and  therefore  speak." 
The  more  the  saving  truth  of  the  evangelical  system 
is  disrelished,  so  much  the  more  must  we  proclaim 
it.  God  will  see  to  the  issue.  "So  we  preach  not  as 
pleasing  men,  but  God,  which  trieth  our  hearts. 

The  old  exhortation  still  sounds  aloud  through  the 
church,  and  will  to  the  end,  ^'preach  the  word," — the 
same  old  word — instant  in  season,  and  so  do  the  work 
of  an  evangelist,  and  make  full  proof  of  thy  ministry. 
Expect  great  residts,  and  labor  for  great  results,  and 
you  shall  see  the  hearts  of  the  disobedient,  under  the 
power  of  God,  turned  unto  the  wisdom  of  the  jusf^ 

But  to  preach  Christ  effectively  is  not  only  a  "  work 
of  faith,  it  is  a  labor  of  love^ 

It  is  vastly  important  that  ministers  have  a  very 
earnest,  tender,  and  overcoming  love,  to  give  living 
religion  to  oar  theology  and  the  mind  of  Christ  to 
our  teachings  concerning  him.     He  will  preach  most 


PEEACHING  CHRIST.  305 

effectively  who  loves  most  His  preaching  will  go 
most  to  the  heart,  and  will  be  attended  with  most  of 
the  Spirit,  who  in  all  he  says  and  does  is  most  con- 
strained by  the  love  of  Christ  dictating,  animating, 
sanctifying  with  the  tenderness  and  patient  earnest- 
ness of  his  Master's  mind,  his  whole  discourse. 

Oh,  that  we  were  more  earnest  to  grow  in  this 
grace  !  What  ought  we  to  value  in  personal  attain- 
ments compared  with  it ! 

And  still  with  a  trustful  and  loving  spirit  we  must 
ever  remember  that  "  We  have  this  treasure  in  earthen 
vessels,  that  the  excellency  of  the  power  may  be  of 
God  and  not  of  us.'^  Therefore  "I  commend  you  to 
God,  and  to  the  word  of  his  grace,  which  is  able  to 
build  you  up  and  make  you  good  stewards  of  the  un- 
searchable riches  of  Christ," 
26* 


CHAPTER   XLIX. 
THE   MINISTRY    OF   JESUS. 

[CONGREGATIONALIST.] 

By  Ret.  Geo.  H.  Hepworth. 
*'  Wie  know  that  his  testimony  is  true. — John  xxi:  24,  25., 

As  we  sit  at  the  feet  of  the  Lord,  how  perfectly  his 
words  tit  our  experience,  and  develop  for  our  acceptance 
the  only  course  of  education  that  can  make  us  whole. 
We  hear  Him  saying :  "  Except  a  man  be  born  again, 
he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God."  It  is  evident,  then 
that  it  is  not  a  matter  of  improvement,  of  which  the 
moralist  delights  to  speak,  that  He  demands,  but  a 
thorough,  change  of  base.  If  we  look  at  Rom.  iii :  ]  0, 11 , 
12, 23,  we  shall  find  what  God  thinks  of  human  nature  and 
its  needs;  and  if  we  then  carefully  study  our  own 
hearts,  we  shall  be  compelled  to  confess  that,  until  some 
change  takes  place,  we  are  aliens  and  strangers. - 

We  must  never  cease  to  think  of  Christ  with  deep 
gratitude,  because  in  the  fullness  of  His  pity  for  us  He 
was  willing  to  undergo  so  great  misery  for  our  good. 
When  I  pray,  I  have  a  certain  satisfaction  in  the  feel- 
ing that  Christ,  though  risen  and  glorified,  is  not  forget- 
ful of  the  weaknesses  of  the  flesh,  since  He  himself 


THE  MINISTEY  OF  JESUS.  307 

wrestled  with   and  overcome  them  ;  and  that  for  this 
reason  He  will  have  the  more  mercy  on  me.     We  know 
that  God  is  acquainted  with  all  these  things  ;  our  Clirist 
has  experienced  them  in  his  own  person ;  and  that  fact- 
is  a  personal  tie  between  us  and  him. 

Then  we  will  not  forget  that  in  the  use  of  the  simile 
of  the  vine  and  the  branches,  Christ  made  our  duty  to 
consist  in  trustinsj  Him  and  receivingr  from  Him.  It 
will  never  do  for  the  branch  to  be  ambitious  to  have  a 
root  of  its  own,  or  for  the  soul  to  feel  that  it  is  person. 
8.11y  responsible  to  find  its  own  way  through  life.  -The 
glory  of  the  branch  is  that  it  receives  its  life  from  the 
vine,  and  is  satisfied  simply  to  grow,  and  blossom,  and 
bear  fruit  with  thanksgiving  ;  and  the  glory  of  the  soul 
is  to  know  that  Christ  will  take  care  that  the  life  is  all 
right  if  only  it  love  Him  and  cling  to  Him  with  trust. 
The  worry  drops  out  of  life,  and  the  peace  comes  in,  when' 
we  give  up  trying  to  be  the  vine,  and  rest  content  to 
draw  our  life  from  the  Lord. 

Keitlier  will  we  forget  that  we  are  taught  self-denial 
and  love  of  others  as  the  shortest  road  to  happiness. 
This  is  a  novel  doctrine,  but  not  more  novel  than  true. 
The  supreme  satisfactions  come  when  we  work  and  pray 
for  others.     We  cannot  find  peace  except  by  giving  peace 
to  our  neighbors.     Losing  is  finding,  is  the  Gospel  doc* 
trine.     Love  yourself  last,  is  a  motto  hard  to  adopt,  bufe 
it  contains  the  secret  of  life.     Jesus  talked  of  this  con#' 
stantly,  and  exemplified  it  perfectly.     Never  did  one? 
tread  the  earth  who  loved  as  He  did,  or  w^ho  was  s& 
willincr  to  give  himself  if  only  the  world  could  find  light: 
in?  darkness  thereby.    The  cross  is  the  symbol  of  an  utter 
lo^ssof  self,  and  of  an  abounding  and,  abiding  love. 


308  THE  MINISTRY  OF  JESUS. 

And  lastly,  when  we  turn  our  thoughts  towards  the 
setting  sun,  we  find  that  even  the  shadows  of  night  are 
tipped  with  glory.  "  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you," 
the  Master  said  to  his  disciples,  and  ever  since  we  have 
felt  sure  oi  the  future.  This  life  is  like  a  winding 
country  road  that  leads  over  the  hill,  across  the  plain, 
through  the  forest,  and  finally  ends  apparently  at  the 
margin  of  the  river.  But  the  ending  is  only  apparent, 
for  with  the  eye  of  faith  we  can  see  that  beyond  the 
washing  fiood  it  continues  through  a  country  as  yet  un- 
explored. 

And  so  we  have  found,  in  the  lessons  that  stretch 
through  the  Bible,  that  Jesus  holds  every  possible  prob- 
lera  in  his  grasp.  No  man  can  have  an  experience  in 
which  the  Lord  cannot  help  him,  and  none  can  have  a 
doubt  wliich  he  cannot  satisfy.  It  is  our  privilege  to 
cling  to  the  cross.  In  Europe  the  priests  of  certain 
churches  will  show  you  a  minute  atom,  or  splinter,  of 
the  cross,  as  a  sacred  r^ilic.  It  is  not  enough.  The  whole 
cross  is  ours ;  and  he  that  was  nailed  thereon  is  our  best, 
our  strongest,  and  our  most  loving  friend.  If  we  obey 
Him,  life  will  be  sweet,  and  death  will  be  robbed  of  its 
terror?. 

We  have  followed  the  footsteps  of  Jesus  with  such  in. 
creasing  wonder  and  awe,  that  we  are  now  ready  to 
exclaim  with  Thomas  :  "  My  Lord,  and  my  God."  He 
has  been  very  tender  in  his  dealings  with  the  penitent, 
very  upcompromising  with  the  persistently  evil-minded, 
and  very  compassionate  towards  every  one  in  great  sor- 
row and  affliction. 

I.  From  what  we  have  seen  hiin  do,  we  have  learned 
that  he  is  the  Counsellor,  the  Mighty  God,  prophesied  by 


THE  MINISTRY   OF  JESUS.  309 

Isaiah.  We  believe  this,  if  not  by  faith,  at  least  for  the 
*'  works'  sake."  Hence  the  authority  that  attaches  to 
His  commands.  Our  method  of  living  is  not  left  to  our 
personal  convictions  at  all ;  it  is  ordered  by  the  Lord. 
We  are  never  asked  what  we  think  of  this  or  that  duty, 
we  are  called  upon  to  obey ;  and  our  best  and  truest 
convictions  come  alwavs  as  the  result  of  that  obedience. 
We  wrong  ourselves,  and  put  obstacles  in  our  way,  when 
we  first  theorize  concerning  right  and  wrong,  and  then 
search  the  Book  for  proof  texts.  If  the  Book  is  the  Word 
of  G()d,  its  authority  is  final,  and  we  have  no  right  to 
disobey  its  injunctions  or  call  in  question  its  assertions. 
The  hiohest  life  is  the  life  of  strictest  obedience.  The 
most  important  revelations  of  God's  will  come  when  the 
soul  is  passive  and  self-forgetful. 

II.  Christ's  blessed  ministry  did  not  end  at  the  cross. 
When  he  said  :  "  I  will  come  again,"  it  was  equivalent 
to  a  premise  never  to  leave  those  that  trust  in  Him.  He 
said,  also  :  "  He  that  loveth  me  shall  be  loved  of  my 
Father ;  and  I  will  love  him,  and  manifest  myself  to 
him."  Christ  is  in  the  world  to. day,  then,  in  answer  to 
prayer.  We  can  be  "hidden  with  Christ,"  and,  as  it 
were,  lose  ourselves  in  graininof  Him.  When  He  was  on 
earth.  He  was  subject  to  the  limitations  of  His  body. 
He  could  not  be  in  Galilee  and  Jerusalem  at  the  same 
moment.  Now  that  He  has  risen,  however.  He  has  be- 
come tlie  very  Spirit  of  God,  that  is  neither  confined  by 
time  nor  space.  I  never  tire  of  reading  the  fourteenth 
chapter  of  John,  because  it  is  full  of  the  promise  to 
minister  to  us  at  all  times ;  and  I  take  especial  delight 
in  the  twentieth  verse  of  the  seventeenth  chapter,  in 
which,  while  yet  in  the  flesh,  he  actually  prayed  for  you 


310  THE  MINISTRY  OP  JESUS. 

and  me.     It  imposes  on  the  soul  a  peculiar  responsibility 
to  know  that  Jesus  remembered  us  in  His  petitions. 

III.  The  written  word,  then,  becomes  our  infallible 
guide,  because  it  is  the  gift  of  God.  It  must  not  be  for- 
gotten,  however,  that  to  many  the  Bible  is  still  '*  a 
stumbling-block  "  and  "  an  offence.'^  *'  The  mystery  of 
holiness  "  must  not  be  denied.  No  one  understands  the 
Bible,  or  gets  much  comfort  from  it,  unless  he  feels  his 
need  of  it,  and  goes  to  it  in  that  spirit.  The  critic, 
though  he  may  recognize  its  rhetorical  grandeur,  can 
form  no  conception  of  its  helpfulness  so  long  as  the 
critical  spirit  prevails.  The  hungry  man  appreciates 
food,  and  the  souLsick  man  understands  the  Bible. 
Standing  outside  the  cathedral,  you  may  see  enough  of 
the  stained  windows  to  know  that  they  must  be  beautiful 
and  costly  ;  but  it  is  only  when  you  cross  the  threshold 
and  enter  into  the  building  when  the  sun  is  shining 
through  them,  that  you  see  them  in  all  their  splendor. 
The  Christian,  not  the  critic,  knows  Christ. 


CHAPTER  L. 

CHRIST'S    PRACTICAL    PREACHING. 

[ANONYMOUS.] 

The  minister  who  aims  at  reforming  his  hearers  in 
the  practical  duties  of  life  must  follow  the  example  of 
the  Divine  Teacher  himself.  He  must  inquire,  how  did 
Jesus  Christ  preach  the  Gospel  ?     ^ 

He  forbade  family  quarrels.  He  warned  his  hearers 
against  the  evil  practices  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees. 
He  bade  no  one  dare  to  come  to  the  temple  to  worship 
until  he  had  paid  his  debts.  He  not  only  enjoined  upon 
them  not  to  commit  adultery,  but  told  them  what  the 
first  step  in  adultery  ivas  that  they  might  shun  it.  He 
talked  to  them  about  their  fannilies  and  their  latu-suitsy 
and  their  habits  of  harrowing.  He  told  them  how  they 
should  accost  people  in  the  streets,  what  they  should  give 
away,  and  how  they  should  do  it,  how  they  should  prayy 
and  how  they  should  keep  fast. day.  He  told  them  how 
religion  bore  upon  their  business  and  their  associations. 
He  bade  them  not  to  bach-bite  or  slander.  He  warned 
them  against  preachers  who  came  preaching  false  doc- 
trines. He  taught  them  the  true  principles  of  temper- 
ancCj  in  eating  and  drinking,  and  the  moderate  indul- 
gence of  all  the  passions.     He  taught  the  doctrine  of 


312  CHRIST'S    PRACTICAL  PREACHING. 

total  abstinence  from  everything  'positively  injurious  to 
the  body  or  the  soul,  and  moderation  and  temperance  in 
the  indulgence  of  everything  healthful  and  innocent. 
He  taught  that  we  should /ee(i?  the  hungry  and  clothe  the 
naked,  that  we  should  not  oppress  or  rob  the  poor  ;  but 
obey  the  golden  rule  in  all  our  relations  with  our  fellow 
men  whether  rich  or  poor. 

Common  things  the  great  teacher  discussed  in  common 
language,  enlivening  his  discourse  with  pungent  question^ 
ing,  illustrating  it  by  numerous  stories,  and  garnishing 
it  with  vivid  and  beautiful  pictures,  drawn  from  summer 
fields  and  humble  homes.  Throuoh  it  all  sans;  the  ten- 
der  undertone  of  love,  pity  far  the  suffering,  strength  for 
the  lueaJc,  trust  and  comfartfar  the  poor, 

O !  no  wonder  the  people  were  astonished  at  his  doc- 
trine, and  that  whence  came  down  from  the  mountain 
great  multitudes  followed  him  !  "  And  the  common 
people  heard  him  gladly,"  "  for  all  the  people  were  very 
attentive  to  hear  Him." 

1st.  He  was  the  servant  and  messenger  of  God.  He 
came  to  do  the  work  of  his  Father.  lie  spake  by  His 
authority.  So  ministers  are  the  servants  and  messen- 
gers of  Christ.  They  are  engaged  in  His  work ;  they 
speak  by  His  authority. 

2d.  The  ministry  of  Christ  was  characterized  by  love 
to  m.an  as  man — as  a  lost  and  sinful  being.  The  vilest 
sinners  were  objects  of  Mis  compassion.  The  same  love 
should  actuate  his  ministers,  and  carry  them  to  the 
abodes  of  the  knuly  and  vile  wherever  found. 

3d.  Christ's  ministry  was  characterized  by  a  hopeful 
spirit.  Publicans  and  harlots  and  the  thief  upon  the 
cross,  He  did  not  regard  as  beyond  the  reach  of  salvation. 


CHAPTER   LI. 
SUCCESS   IN   THE    GOSPEL   MINISTRY. 

(EXTRACTS.) 

By  Ret.  Wm.  C.  Walton. 

While  Dr.  Robert  Finley,  of  Basking  Ridge,  was 
preaching  on  a  subject  which  had  not  in  tlie  preparation 
excited  any  unusual  interest  in  his  mind,  he  said  :  "  there 
was  given  to  him  a  view  which  was  worth  the  world." 
This  "  vieiv  "  formed  an  era  in  his  ministerial  life ;  it 
was  the  covunencement  oj  a.pcnuerfal  revival  of  religion ; 
it  gave  a  new  character  to  his  preaching,  and  to  it  may 
be  traced  nearly  all  his  subsequent  usefulness; 

It  was  no  new  revelation.  It  was  only  a  correct  view 
of  a  truth  which  he  had  before  seen  but  very  indis- 
tinctly, and  believed  as  though  he  believed  it  not. 
Before  it  had  made  only  a  feeble  impression  ;  now  it 
thrilled  through  his  soul  with  all  the  power  and  enthu- 
siasm of  a  new  discovery ;  and  prepared  him  to  exhibit 
the  Gospel  message  to  his  dying  fellow-men,  not  as  one 
who  had  learned  it  by  hearsay,  but  as  one  who  had 
"  seen,  and  felt,  and  handled  of  the  word  of  life." 

The  same  has  been  true  of  many  others ;  and  it  is  '■ 

doubtless,  in  a  great  measure,  owing  to  the  want  of  such 
27 


314  SUCCESS   IN  THE   GOSPEL    MINISTRY. 

views  and  feelings,  that  the  "ministrations  of  some  "men 
are  so  powerless.  Facts  con oborate  this  conclusion.  It 
was  while  the  ministers  of  the  Gospel  weie  "full  of 
faith  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  that  the  "  word  of  the 
Lord  grew  and  multiplied  "  in  primitive  times. 

The  success  of  Luther  was  evidently  connected  with 
those  discoveries  of  divine  truths  which  he  said  were 
"  like  opening  to  him  the  gates  of  paradise." 

Livingston's  sermon  at  the  Kirk  of  Shotts,  by  which 
five  hundred  souls  were  converted,  was  preached  under 
a  similar  influence.  It  was  after  a  whole  night  spent  in 
prayer  and  communion  with  God.  His  soul  was  filled 
with  the  spirit  of  Heaven,  which  caused  his  face  to  shine 
as  did  the  face  of  Moses  when  he  descended  from  the 
mount ;  and  gave  a  power  and  an  unction  to  his  appeals 
which  melted  the  hearts  of  his  hearers.  And  while 
hundreds  and  thousands  were  converted  by  the  ministry 
of  Whitefield,  he  said  his  experience  verified  our  Sav- 
iour's declaration :  "  He  that  believeth  in  me,  as  the 
scripture  has  said,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of 
living  water." 

Brainerd  had  such  views  of  the  worth  of  souls,  of  the 
guilt  and  wretchedness  of  their  condition  while  impeni- 
tent, and  such  a  desire  that  God  might  be  glorified  in 
their  salvation,  that  at  times  he  declared  he  felt  as 
though  he  could  not  live,  unless  the  Indians  among 
whom  he  labored  were  converted. .  Those  who  have  read 
his  life  will  recollect  with  what  amazing  power  his  min- 
istry was  attended  after  such  exercises.  Besides  the  dis- 
coveries made  to  the  Rev.  Wm.  Tennent,  during  the 
period  of  his  suspended  animation,  he  had  on  one  occa- 
sion such  views,  while  walking  alone  in  a  grove,  just 


SUCCESS  IN  THE   GOSPEL    MINISTRY.  315 

before  preaching,  that  he  fell  prostrate  upon  the  earth, 
and  was  unable  to  walk  to  the  church  without  assis- 
tance. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Flavel,  while  on  a  journey  to  a  place 
where,  I  think,  he  had  an  appointment  to  preach,  had 
views  of  the  divine  glory,  and  of  heavenly  things, 
which  so  absorbed  and  entranced  his  mind  as  to 
produce  an  entire  oblivion  of  surrounding  objects,  and 
such  an  excitement  of  feeling  as  caused  a  profuse  bleed, 
inof  at  the  nose.  When  he  became  conscious  of  his 
situation,  he  found  himself  sitting  by  a  brook  in  the 
road,  faint  from  the  loss  of  blood.  He  continued  in  the 
same  ecstatic  state  of  mind  during  the  whole  of  afternoon 
and  night — slept  none  at  all,  but  said  it  was  one  of  the 
most  refreshing  nights  he  ever  spent.  He  used  after- 
wards to  call  that  day  *'  one  of  the  days  of  heaven. 

As  to  many  too,  whose  ministry  has  life  and  interest 
in  it  and  whose  discourses  often  produce  a  solemn  im- 
pression, it  is  a  serious  question,  whether  they  do  not 
too  generally  preach  without  aiming  at  ihQ  immediate 
conversion  of  sinners  ?  Is  not  such  an  event  so  far  from 
*heir  thoughts,  that  if  it  were  to  occur,  it  would  occasion 
surprise  ?  Do  not  their  views  terminate  upon  the  mere 
discussion  of  the  subject,  or  at  most,  on  laying  the  foun- 
dation  for  future  good  to  their  hearers  ?  Are  they  look- 
ing  for  any  jpresent  results,  corresponding  to  the  objects 
contemplated  in  the  ministerial  commission  ? 

Tne  more  we  look  at  this  subject,  then,  the  more  im^ 
portant  will  its  discussion  appear,  especially  to  theo- 
logical students  and  to  young  ministers.  For  such  it 
it  was  commenced,  and  to  such  it  is  affectionately  ad- 
dressed.    My  plan  is  to  present,  as  far  as  my  limits  will 


316  SUCCESS   IN  THE   GOSPEL    MINISTRY. 

permit,  an  analysis  of  the  vietus  and  feelings  yvhich  have 
been  found  by  experience  to  be  coDnected  with  success 
in  preaching  the  Gospel,  What  are  they  ?  Among 
them  are  the  followinsr : 

1.  An  affecting  view  of  our  personal  ohligations  to 
Christ  J  not  only  for  redeeming  ^inercy,  hut  for  the  honor 
conferred  upon  us  by  putting  us  into  the  ministry. 

If  God  had  associated  with  himself  the  angels  in  the 
work  of  creation,  they  would  doubtless  have  regarded  it 
as  a  high  honor,  but  it  would  have  been  as  far  inferior 
to  the  honor  conferred  upon  those  who  are  employed  in 
carrying  forward  the  work  of  redemption,  as  this  world 
is  inferior  to  the  paradise  above. 

Yet  all  this  superior  honoris  conferred  upon  ministers 
of  the  Gospel.  They  are  called  "  laborers  together  with 
God."  They  are  his  "  builders,"  his  under. workmen  in 
carrying  forward  that  spiritual  temple,  which  is  to  be  a 
habitation  for  himself,  which  he  has  so  magnificently 
described  in  the  Bible,  and  which  will  doubtless  be  a 
theme  of  admiration  and  joy  to  the  universe,  to  all  eter- 
nity. 

.  The  Apostle  Paul  thought  Moses  judged  correctly  in 
preferring  the  reproach  of  Christ  to  the  treasures  of 
Egypt.  And  so  he  himself  regarded  all  the  obloquy 
and  suffering  connected  with  the  Gospel  ministry.  What 
though  he  was  cast  off  by  his  friends  and  kindred,  and 
despised  by  the  world,  he  could  look  to  the  thousands 
whom  he  had  converted  to  Christ  as  his  glory  and  joy, 
and  his  crown  of  rejoicing !  He  appeared  to  be  amazed 
at  the  honor  conferred  upon  him  by  putting  him  into  the 
ministry,  although  it  was  connected  with  the  most  ardu- 


SUCCESS   IN  THE   GOSPEL    MINISTRY.  317 

ous,  incessant,  and  exhausting  labors,  and   exposed  hina 
to  scorn  and  reproach,  to  suffering  and  death. 

At  the  close  of  his  career,  standing  as  it  were  on  the 
wreck  of  all  he  had  sacrificed  for  Christ,  and  on  the  very 
verge  of  Heaven,  he  utters  this  triumphant  language : 
"  I  am  now  ready  to  be  offered,  and  the  time  of  my  de- 
parture is  at  hand.  I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have 
finished  my  cause,  I  have  kept  the  faith,  henceforth 
there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crcmn  of  righteousness  which 
the  Lord,  the  righteous  Judge,  shall  give  to  me  in  that 
day." 

Similar  views  and  feelings  have  sweetened  the  toils 
of  successful  ministers  in  every  age  ;  reconciled  them  to 
hardship  and  suffering ;  given  an  unction  to  their 
preaching,  and  stimulated  their  minds  to  a  holy  and 
persevering  activity ;  while  those  who  were  under  the 
influence  of  other  views  and  feelings,  have  yielded  to 
indolence,  or  sunk  in  despondency ;  or  like  Salmasius, 
wasted  their  lives  in  laboriously  doiog  nothing  1 

2.  A  peculiar  sensibility  to  the  honor  of  Godf  and  a 
desire  for  His  glory ^  so  strong  as  to  amount  to  a  ruling 
passion.  Worldly  men  feel  that  the  honor  of  God  is 
his  own  concern,  and  that  an  omnipotent  being  can  take 
care  of  his  own  glory,  without  any  care  or  co-operation 
on  their  part.  Such,  too,  are  the  real  feelings  of  cold- 
hearted  Christians  ;  and  nothing  is  a  more  certain  indi- 
cation of  incipient  backsliding,  than  a  diminished  anxiety 
for  the  honor  of  God,  or  a  less  acute  sensibility  to  the 
contempt  which  is  thrown  upon  him  by  impenitent  sin- 
ners. 

The  faithful  servant  of  Christ  will  spontaneously  say 

with  the  Psalmist :  "  I  beheld  the  transgressors  and  was 
27* 


318  SUCCESS   IN  THE   GOSPEL    MINISTRY. 

grieved.''''  "  Rivers  of  waters  run  down  my  eyes,  because 
men  keep  not  thy  law."  "  Horror  has  taken  hold  of  me, 
because  of  the  wicked  who  transgress  thy  law."  The 
honor  of  his  Saviour  lies  nearer  to  his  heart  than  any 
other  interest.  The  precious  name  of  Jesas  is  as  oint- 
ment poured  forth  to  his  soul  ;  and  he  desires  above  all 
thiogs  to  see  it  honored  by  redeemed  sinners. 

3.  An  affecting  view  of  the  guilt  and  luretchedness 
of  those  who  are  living  without  hope,  and  without  God 
in  the  world. 

Those  who  have  been  most  successful  will  testify  that 
the  pungency  and  power  of  their  preaching  have  been 
almost  in  exact  proportion  to  the  clearne.ss  of  their  views 
of  the  sfuilt  and  wretchedness  of  the  sinner. 

Perhaps  there  is  no  one  respect  in  which  ministers  and 
Christians  in  a  revival,  differ  from  what  they  are  out  of 
a  revival,  more  than  in  this.  Never  will  a  feeble  im- 
pression of  such  a  subject  lead  us  to  dwell  upon  it,  and 
to  give  it  that  prominence  in  our  pra3''ers  and  preaching, 
which  are  essential  to  any  proper  effect  in  the  minds  of 
others.  Every  experienced  minister  knows  that  the 
most  pathetic  appeals,  founded  on  the  mere  danger  to 
which  the  impenitent  are  exposed,  and  tlie  most  thun- 
dering representations  of  Hell  and  damnation,  seldom 
produce  any  permanent  effect,  while  the  cause  which 
exposes  the  sinner  to  danger  is  kept  out  of  view.  That 
cause  is  his  guilt ;  and  that  guilt  arises  from  the  viola, 
tion  of  his  obligations. 

The  sinner  must  be  made  to  see  this ;  and  he  never 
can  see  it,  until  he  is  made  to  feel  that  he  acted  freely, 
and  might  have  done  otherwise  ;  that  this  is  true,  not 
only  in  reference  to  some  sins,  but  in  reference  to  every 


SUCCESS   IN  THE   GOSPEL    MINISTRY.  3J9 

sin.  In  this  way  alone  cdn  he  be  made  to  feel  that  he 
is  without  excuse  for  being  an  enemy  to  God,  and  for  all 
his  disobedience  both  to  the  law  and  to  the  Gospel. 

It  is  evident  that  such  views  are  adapted  to  produce 
conviction,  and  to  lead  to  repentance  ;  and  that  where 
these  points  are  made  clear,  and  urged  in  such  a  7)ian- 
ner  as  the  feelings  of  a  minister  will  dictate,  who  him- 
self sees  them  clearly  and  feels  them  deeply,  an  effect 
will  be  produced,  very  different  from  anything  which 
could  be  expected  to  result  from  confused  or  erroneous 
representations  of  human  agency,  or  from  a  cold  and 
heartless  exhibition,  even  of  the  truth  itself. 

Whatever  may  be  the  speculative  opinions  of  min- 
isters with  regard  to  the  nature  of  depravit}',  inability, 
regeneration,  etc.,  it  is  a  fact,  that  where  their  ministry 
is  successful,  as  it  is  in  revivals,  they  preach  to  siiiners 
as  if  they  believed  them  to  be  possessed  of  all  the 
powers  of  moral  agency,  capable  of  turning  to  God,  and 
on  this  account  (and  no  other),  inexcusible  lor  not  doing 
so. 

But  further :  -There  must  also  be  such  a  view  of  the 
sinner's  present  and  prospective  ivretchedness,  as  will 
excite  feelings  of  deep  and  tender  sympathy,  or  that 
compassion  which  will  prompt  a  minister  to  put  in  to 
requisition  the  whole  force  of  his  mind,  in  the  employ- 
ment of  the  wisest  and  best  adapted  instrumentalities 
for  saving  those  that  are  lost. 

Under  the  influence  of  such  feelings,  he  "  gives  him- 
self to  prayer  and  to  the  ministry  of  the  word."  He  is 
"  instani  in  season  and  out  of  season  ;  "  "  becomes  all 
things  to  all  men,  if  by  any  means  he  may  save  some." 
And  while  he  keeps  his  mind  fixed  upon  the  object  for 


320  SUCCESS   IN   THE   GOSPEL    MINISTRY. 

which  he  is  laboring,  his  "  head  is  often  as  waters,  and 
his  eyes  as  a  fountain  of  tears;  "  for,  in  the  light  of 
divine  truth,  he  sees  his  fellow-men  accumulating  guilt 
and  wretchedness  upon  themselves,  and  sinking  to  end- 
less sorrow  and  despair ;  and  he  cannot  but  weep  to 
think  how  many  will  be  lost  in  spite  of  all  his  efforts  to 
save  them ;  and  also,  to  see  how  few  Christians  and 
ministers  are  laboring  as  if  they  really  felt  that  they 
were  '^pulling  sinners  out  of  the  fire,''  and  rescuing 
them  from  the  damnation  of  hell. 

4.  A  strong  sense  of  the  absolute  certainty  of  the 
proraises  to  the  church,  and  a  correspondent  joy  and 
confidence  of  success  in  the  work  of  the  ministry. 

No  man  is  prepared  to  speak  with  boldness,  and  min- 
isterial authority,  while  he  staggers  at  the  pi'omises ;  or 
while  his  faith  falters  as  to  the  aid  which  he  may  expect 
from  God,  in  every  well  directed  effort  for  the  salvation 
of  souls.  And  yet  there  is  hardly  any  point  in  which 
ministers,  as  well  as  private  Christians,  fail  more  lament- 
ably than  they  do  here. 

Who  can  doubt,  that  in  a  majority -of  cases,  where 
efforts  for  a  revival  are  without  success,  it  is  because  the 
people  of  God  do  not  expect  to  succeed  ?  On  the  con- 
trary, when  their  confidence  has  been  high,  and  yet  hum- 
ble, resting  on  the  mighty  power  of  the  Spirit,  and  the 
efficacy  of  the  word  preached,  when  has  God  ever  failed 
to  send  down  his  blessing  ? 

Two  things,  however,  are  absolutely  essential  to  a 
well  founded  confidence  of  this  kind.  First,  Christians 
must  live  such  lives,  as  to  enjoy  full,  full  and  decisive 
evidence,  that  they  are  the  children  of  God,  and  are 
entitled  to  plead  the  promises  as  belonging  to  them- 


SUCCESS   IN  THE   GOSPEL    MINISTRY.  321 

selves.  Secondly,  they  must  be  settled  immovably,  and 
on  strict  inquiry  of  their  own,  in  the  belief  of  the  dis- 
tinguishing doctrines  of  the  Gospel — the  great  doctrines 
of  grace. 

Said  Brainerd  :  "  My  soul  breathed  after  God,  and 
pleaded  with  him  that  '  a  double  portion  of  that  spirit ' 
which  was  given  to  Elijah,  might  rest  on  me.  And  that 
which  was  divinely  refreshing  and  strengthening  to  my 
soul  was  I  saw,  that  God  is  the  same  that  he  tvas  in  the 
days  of  Elijah.  Nothing  seemed  too  hard  for  God  to 
perform;  nothing  too  great  for  me  to  hope  for  frotn 
Him,''  Again  he  says  :  "  I  saw  with  the  greatest  cer- 
tainty,  that  the  arm.  of  the  Lord  must  he  revealed  for 
the  help  of  these  poor  heathen,  if  ever  they  were  de- 
livered from  the  bondage  of  the  powers  of  da,rkness. 
Tiiough  the  work  of  their  conversion  appeared  impos- 
sible luith  man,  yet  tuith  God  I  saw  all  things  were 
possible.^' 

Said  Payson: — "0  what  a  Master  do  I  serve  1  I  have 
known  nothing,  felt  nothing  all  my  days,  even  in  com- 
parison witii  what  I  now  see  in  him.  Never  was  preach- 
ing such  sweet  work  as  it  is  now.  Never  did  the  world 
seem  such  a  nothing  ;  never  did  heaven  appear  so  near, 
so  sweet,  overwhelmingly  glorious  !  God's  promises 
appear  so  strong^  so  solids,  so  real,  so  substantial,  more 
so  than  the  rocks  and  everlasting  hills.  And  His  per- 
fections— what  shall  I  say  of  them.  When  I  think  of 
one,  I  wish  to  dwell  upon  it  forever.  But  another  and 
another,  equally  glorious,  claims  a  share  of  admiration  ; 
and  when  I  begin  to  praise  I  wish  never  to  cease,  but 
have  it  the  commencement  of  that  sons;  which  will  never 
end.     Let  who  will  be  rich,  or  admired,  or  prosperous. 


822  SUCCESS  IN  THE   GOSPEL    MINISTRY. 

it  is  enough  for  me  that  there  is  such  a  God  as  Jehovah, 
such  a  Saviour  as  Jesus,  and  that  they  are  infinitely  and 
unchangeably  glorious  and  happy." 

Abraham  believed  that  "  what  God  had  promised,  He 
was  able  also  to  perform." 

An  eminent  servant  of  God  in  our  day  believed  that 
"God  could  stop  a  steamboat "  when  it  was  necessary 
to  accomplish  an  object  of  importance  connected  with 
his  own  glory ;  and  the  event,  in  both  cases,  proved  that 
it  was  not  a  vain  thing  to  trust  in  God,  and  the  circum- 
stances  of  the  one  were  almost  as  remarkable  a  proof  of 
a  divine  interposition  as  those  of  the  other.  An  ancient 
prophet,  with  the  most  appalling  difficulties  before  him, 
could  say  Avith  confidence,  "/s  anything  too  hard  for  the 
LordV  And  Paul  with  equal  confidence  could  say: 
'^ I  believe  God,  that  it  shall  he  even  as  He  hath  said*'' 
Such  is  the  faith  that  is  necessary  to  success  in  the  min- 
istry of  the  present  day.  It  must  be  such  as  to  give  us 
the  certainty  of  actual  vision.  It  must  be  the  confidence 
of  things  hoped  for ;  the  persuasion  of  things  not  seen. 
With  such  a  faith,  a  minister  cannot  only  preach  confi- 
dently, but  act  boldly  and  decidedly.  It  serves  him  as 
a  sort  of  optical  instrument,  by  which  he  can  take  such 
views  of  spiritual  and  eternal  things,  as  will  stimulate 
his  mind,  warm  his  heart,  and  fill  his  mouth  with  argu. 
ments.  And  preaching  under  the  influence  of  such  views 
and  feelings,  he  will  make  impressions  upon  the  minds  of 
others  with  regard  to  the  reality  of  religion,  and  the 
certainty  of  God's  declarations,  which  could  never  be 
made  by  one  in  the  confused  and  doubtful  state  of  mind 
before  described.  Garrick's  reply  to  the  minister  who 
questioned  him  in  regard  to  the  comparative  effects  of 


SUCCESS  IN  THE   GOSPEL    MINISTRY.  323 

pulpit  and  stage  oratory,  will  here  be  remembered ; 
and  notbing  could  be  more  correct.  "  Why  is  it,"  said 
the  minister,  "that  we  who  preach  truth  produce  so  little 
effect,  while  you  who  deliver  nothing  but  fiction  often 
excite  such  powerful  emotions  1"  The  reason  is  this, 
said  Garrick ;  "  You  preach  truth  as  if  it  were  fiction ; 
and  we  deliver  fiction  as  if  it  were  truth." 

Let  every  man  who  may  read  these  pages,  ask  himself, 
how  far  he  believes  things  simply  on  the  ground  of  Gad's 
declarations?  How  far  he  is  prepared  to  take  God 
at  his  word,  and  to  act  upon  what  He  states  as  being 
truth  itself,  more  certain  than  the  evidence  of  the  senses, 
or  the  demonstrations  of  science  ?  The  answer  to  these 
questions  will  furnish  him  not  only  with  a  test  of  his 
own  character,  but  with  the  probable  measure  of  his  fu- 
ture usefulness.  To  the  want  of  faith  in  the  divine 
promises  and  threatenings  may  be  attributed,  in  a  great 
degree,  the  want  of  feeling,  which  is  apparent  in  most 
sermons  we  hear. 

5.  A  deep  conviction  of  personal  responsibiliti/  in 
reference  to  the  conversion  of  sinners,  and  the  advance- 
inient  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom. 

The  real  and  practical  feeling  of  many  respecting  this 
subject,  is,  that  it  is  God's  cause,  and  that  he  will  take 
care  of  it,  and  convert  as  many  sinners  as  he  intended  to 
convert,  from  the  foundation  of  the  world,  whether 
means  are  used  or  not.  But  the  successful  preacher, 
while  he  believes  that  salvation  is  the  work  of  God,  does 
not  believe  so  in  any  sense  which  would  release  ministers 
or  private  Christians  from  responsibility  in  relation  to 
it.  He  understands  the  divine  plan  as  so  connecting  the 
conversion  of  sinners  with  the  right  application  of  means, 


324  SUCCESS   IN  THE   GOSPEL  MINISTRY. 

that  he  can  find  no  rest  to  his  soul  in  the  neolect  of  these 
means.  He  believes  further,  that  God  will  make  use  of 
ministers,  in  building  up  his  kingdom,  in  proportion  to 
the  skill  and  assiduity  with  which  they  employ  the 
means,  so  that  if  they  are  unwise  to  win  souls  to  Christ, 
or  unfaithful  in  regard  to  the  use  of  means,  souls  will 
be  lost  which  mi^ht  have  been  saved.  That  this  sense 
of  responsibility  is  connected  with  ministerial  success, 
we  have  evidence  in  the  fact,  that  it  is  always  felt  most 
deeply  before  a  revival,  and  during  its  progress.  It  is 
indeed  one  of  the  most  powerful  stimulants  to  those 
efforts  which  God  is  wont  to  bless  to  the  conversion  of 
sinners. 

6.  A  strong  sense  of  the  folly  and  luicJcedness  of  suf. 
fering  the  mind  to  he  unduly  influenced  hy  the  opinions 
of  men. 

Said  Paul : — "  It  is  a  light  thing  to  be  'judged  of  you, 
or  of  man's  judgment."  Again  he  says  : — "  Even  so  we 
preach,  not  as  pleasing  men,  but  God  who  trieth  our 
hearts."  "If  I  yet  pleased  men,  I  should  not  be  the 
servant  of  Jesus  Christ." 

It  was  necessary  to  our  Lord's  success  in  the  great 
work  He  had  to  accomplish,  "  that  he  should  make  hinfi- 
self  of  no  reputation.'"  It  is  no  less  necessary,  that  his 
ministers  should  in  an  important  sense  do  the  same. 

Said  Pearce  :  "  I  feel  a  superiority  to  all  fear  and  a 
conscious  dignity  in  being  an  ambassador  of  God." 

I  thank  God  that  I  possess  an  abiding  determination 
to  aim  at  the  consciences  of  the  people  in  every  dis- 
course. I  have  borne  the  most  positive  testimony  against 
the  prevailijig  evils  of  professors  here ; — and  last  night 
told  an  immense  crowd 'of  professors,  of  the  first  rank, 


SUCCESS   IN  THE   GOSPEL     MINISTRY.  325 

that  if  they  made  custom  and  fashion  their  plea,  they 
were  awfully  deluding  their  own  souls.  For  it  had  always 
been  the  fashion  to  insult  God,  to  dissipate  time,  and  to 
pursue  the  broad  road  to  hell ;  but  it  would  not  lessen 
their  torments  there,  that  the  way  to  damnation  was  the 
fashion. 

7.  A  strong,  habitual  sense  of  the  one  great  object 
of  our  vocation  lohich  exerts  a  governing  influence  over 
the  mind. 

It  is  pleasing  to  believe,  that  an  increasing  number 
are,  every  year,  entering  the  ministry  from  correct 
motives,  and  it  is  pleasing  to  anticipate  the  success  of 
such.  But  there  is  reason  to  fear,  that  not  a  few  are 
led  to  adopt  the  ministry  as  a  profession,  only  because 
they  think  it  preferable  to  law  or  medicine.  Without 
first  apprehensions  of  the  ministry ;  and  without  these 
feelings  which  have  been  described  as  requisite  to'  its 
success. 

8.  Practical  Wisdom. 

This  is  shown  in  the  adaptation  of  public  discourses, 
private  conversation,  and  all  the  other  measures  used  to 
the  characters  and  circumstances  of  the  people  addressed. 
Men  of  this  character,  study  to  acquire  such  a  knowledge 
of  the  state  of  things  in  their  congregations,  as  will  ena- 
ble  them  to  operate  upon  the  minds  of  their  people  to 
the  greatest  advantage.  They  avail  themselves  of  every 
passing  occurrence  that  excites  interest,  and  of  every 
rising  tide  of  events  or  favorable  state  of  feeling  in  the 
church ;  and  endeavor  to  make  all  such  things  sub- 
servient to  the  best  interests  of  religion.  When  they  see 
a  good  opjDortunity  for  making  a  ^'special  effort,"  they 

do  not  shrink  from  any  additional  labor  or  responsibility 
28 


326  SUCCESS  IN  THE   GOSPEL    MINISTRY. 

it  will  devolve  upon  them,  but  meet  both  the  labor  and 
the  responsibility,  with  cheerfulness  and  confidence  in 
God ;  rejoicing  to  be  counted  worthy  either  to  do  or  to 
suffer  anything  which  shall  advance  the  Eedeemer's 
glory.  By  cherisfiing  an  habitual  and  intense  solicitude 
for  the  conversion  of  sinners,  they  require  a  peculiar  tact 
in  conducting  meetings,  and  conversing  with  persons  in 
an  anxious  state  of  mind. 

Again.  Errors  have  often  been  committed,  in  the 
appointment  and  management  of  protracted  meetings. 
After  these  meetings  became  popular,  and  had  been 
attended  with  great  success,  in  some  places,  one  was  ap- 
pointed at .  No  special  efforts  were  made  to  pre- 
pare for  it  either  by  the  minister  or  the  church.  They 
came  together  unhumbled,  without  the  spirit  of  prayer, 
few  or  none  prepared  to  take  hold  of  the  work  in  earnest. 
They  had  no  preaching  but  such  as  the  people  were  ac- 
customed to  hear  from  the  neighboring  ministers,  who 
excited  but  little  attention.  They  went  through  the 
routine  of  services,  and  it  was  a  protracted  meeting ! 

But  no  souls  were  converted,  and  the  church  was  not 
aroused  from  its  slumbers.  The  result  was,  the  people 
lost  their  confidence  in  protracted  meetings,  instead  of 
humbling  themselves  in  the  dust,  and  imputing  the  fail, 
ure  to  their  own  folly  and  wickedness. 

Another  meeting  was  held  under  more  favorable  cir- 

c\imstances,  at .     They  had  preaching  of  the  best 

kind,  but  it  was  nearly  all  addressed  to  the  impenitent, 
while  the  church  remained  cold,  faithless,  prayerless. 
They  bad  prayer-meetings  enough,  but  there  was  no 
broken  hearted  agonizing  prayer.  The  result  was,  that 
some  hundreds   appeared   to   be   awakened,   but   few 


SUCCESS   IN  THE   GOSPEL    MINISTRY.  327 

or  none  were  converted,  and  when  the  meeting  closed, 
the  church  remained  unalBfected  and  the  wicked  were 
glad  to  be  released  from  that  pressure  of  truth  and  obli- 
gation  which,  for  some  days  had  held  them  very  uneasy. 
Men  of  practical  wisdom  and  experience  in  such  matters, 
would  labor  iviih  the  churchy  both  before  the  meeting: 
and  during  its  progress,  and  feel  as  if  nothing  would  be 
accomplished,  until  the  church  should  awake  and  call 
mightily  upon  God  in  the  true  spirit  of  prayer,  confessing 
and  putting  away  their  sins,  and  striving  together  for 
the  promotion  of  the  work. 

Further.  In  the  discussion  of  subjects,  ministers  often 
consume  much  time,  most  unprofitably,  in  proving  what 
nobody  doubts  ;  multiplying  arguments,  dwelling  upon 
narratives  with  which  most  of  their  hearers  are  familiar, 
or  in  "declaiming  about  Noah,  Abraham,  and  Job; — 
laying  the  scene  of  action  so  far  off  that  the  present 
company  can  feel  no  special  interest  in  it.''  And  thus 
the  effort  is  spent  without  producing  any  of  those  effects 
in  which  a  minister  should  aim  at  in  preaching.  There 
is  no  close  grappling  with  the  conscience  and  the  heart ; 
'»one  of  the  warmth  and  animation  of  direct  appeal,  and 
of  earnest  expostulation ;  conveying  to  the  hearers,  irre- 
sistibly, the  impression  that  they  have  a  great  work  to 
do,  and  ought  immediately  to  engage  in  the  doing  of  it, 
and  that  everlasting  consequences  are  depending  upon 
the  present  hour. 

Once  more.  A  great  want  of  wisdom  is  sometimes 
displayed  in  the  manner  of  conducting  prayer -meetings ; 
the  consequence  of  which  is  that  few  attend,  and  no  spirit 
of  prayer  is  awakened,  and  thus  one  of  the  most  power- 
ful weapons  which  the  church  has  to  wield,  is  divested 


328  SUCCESS   IN  THE   GOSPEL  MINISTRY. 

of  all  its  efficacy.  The  use  of  long  and  unappropriate 
prayers  and  hymns,  and  the  neglect  of  weekly  efforts  to 
gather  the  impenitent  into  the  meetings,  and  to  labor 
with  faith  and  zeal  for  their  conversion  when  there  are 
errors  which  often  pass  without  animated  version ;  but 
which  men  of  practical  wisdom,  in  such  matters  do 
always  endeavor  to  correct.  Such  men  generally  accom. 
plish  a  great  deal,  too,  by  setting  others  to  work  and 
teaching  them  how  to  work.  They  pay  diligent  attention 
to  persons  who  begin  to  evince  a  serious  concern  for  their 
spiritual  condition;  and  their  active  minds  are  ever  de- 
visiMg  ways  and  means  to  awaken  the  attention  of  the 
careless,  and  to  give  the  greatest  effect  to  divine  truth, 
as  the  instrument  of  conversion.  As  to  measures,  they 
believe  that  neither  old  or  new  measures  will  succeed 
without  the  blessing  of  God.  And  while  they  rely  upon 
that  blessing,  they  feel  themselves  at  liberty  to  pursue 
any  course  which  circumstances  and  appearances  may 
indicate ;  always,  however,  taking  care  to  keep  clearly 
within  the  limits  prescribed  in  the  Bible  ;  willing  that 
all  their  brethren  should  enjoy  the  same  liberty  and  dis- 
cretion. All  they  insist  upon  in  the  relation  to  this 
point,  is,  that  some  measure  must  be  adopted  which  shall 
be  efficient  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  object  they 
have  in  view;  for  they  really  believe  that  sinners, 
living  without  God  and  religion  are  on  their  way  to 
Hell,  and  must  be  converted,  or  they  will  soon  be  there. 

9.  A  disposition  heartily  to  rejoice  in  the  good  done 
by  others. 

When  Barnabas  visited  "  Antioch,  and  saw  the  grace 
of  God  "  bestowed  upon  the  disciples  of  Christ  "  he  was 
glad,"  although  he  had  no  hand  in  their  conversion,  ^^for 


SUCCESS  IN  THE   GOSPEL    MIKISTRY.  329 

he  was  a  great  man^  and  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of 
faith.^^  Paul  rejoiced  that  the  gospel  was  preached, 
even  though  it  was  done  in  "  strife."  by  those  who  envied 
his  reputation,  and  thought  it  would  add  affliction  to  his 
bonds,  while  he  was  a  prisoner  at  Rome.  "  He  that  will 
be  great  among  you,  let  him  be  least  of  all  and  servant 
of  all."  The  spirit  of  Diotrephes  has  never  been  found 
in  connection  with  eminent  usefulness.  We  should  ever 
be  willing  to  acknowledge  the  gifts  and  graces  bestowed 
upon  the  ministry,  as  well  as  upon  the  churches,  and  to 
give  the  glory  of  all  to  God,  to  whom  alone  it  is  due. 
The  success  of  such  nien  is  secured  by  the  divine  promise. 
"They  shall  prosper  that  love  Thee;''  i.  e.  those  who 
love  "Jerusalem  "  shall  prosper.  So  it  has  been  and  so 
it  will  be.  Let  those  who  love  the  cause  of  Christ,  then 
go  on  with  their  work ;  and  let  it  be  seen  that  -God  is 
with  them,  and  prospers  them  ;  that  souls  are  saved,  and 
the  tone  of  piety  elevated,  by  their  instrumentality ;  and 
verily,  all  good  men — all  who  are  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  of  faith,  will  rejoice  in  their  work. 

10.  A  spirit  of  deep  humility. 

"The  chief  of  sinners,"  and  "least  of  all  saints,'* 
are  the  epithets  by  which  Paul  characterizes  himself. 
He  said  he  was  "  least  of  the  apostles,  and  not  meet  to 
be  called  an  apostle,  because  he  had  persecuted  the 
church  of  God."  He  speaks  of  himself  as  "  nothing ;  " 
and  when  truth  required  him  to  admit  that  he  had 
"labored  more  abundantly  than  all"  the  apostles,  he 
adds,  ^'  yet  not  I,  but  the  grace  of  God  which  was  with 
me." 

11.  A  full  and  deep  conviction  of  the  necessity  of  the 

Holy  Spirifs  operations  to  give  success* 
28* 


330  SUCCESS  IN  THE  GOSPEL    MINISTRY. 

Paul,  with  all  his  pre-eminent  abilities  and  super- 
natural endowments,  felt  that  he  had  no  sufficiency  of 
himself  to  accomplish  the  object  of  his  ministry.  He 
felt  that  he  was  "  nothing,  and  ApoUos  nothing  ;  "  that 
while  he  "  planted  and  ApoUos  watered,  God  gave  the 
increase."  To  this  sentiment  all  successful  ministers  of 
the  gospel  will  not  only  heartily  subscribe,  but  they  are 
often  heard  to  dwell  upon  it  with  great  emphasis  in 
prayer,  and  on  all  suitable  occasions.*  Whitefield  speaks 
of  his  hearers  as  "  melted  down  under  the  word  and 
power  of  God."  He  ascribes  his  success,  everywhere,  to 
his  "Master's  presence," — to  "the  arm  of  the  Lord;  " 
and  speaks  of  revivals  and  conversions  as  "  the  work  of 
Godr 

12.  Exalted  apprehensions  of  the  fullness  and  free- 
ness  of  divine  grace,  flowing  to  sinners  through  the 
atonement  and  mediation  of  Christ. 

Ministers  may  not  always  have  consistent  theories 
with  regard  to  election,  or  the  extent  of  the  atonement ; 
but  when  successful  in  their  preaching,  they  address 
sinners  as  if  they  believed  all  might  be  saved,  if  all 
would  repent ;  and  that  there  is  no  necessity,  arising 
from  any  limitation  of  the  atonement,  or  from  any  un- 
willingness on  the  part  of  God,  or  any  arbitrary  decree 
of  heaven  against  them,  why  any  should  be  lost. 

The  sermons  of  President  Davies  are  remarkable  for 
this  characteristic.  "If,"  says  he,  "you  are  really 
willing  to  fly  to  Jesus,  and  be  saved  by  Him  in  His 
own  way,  you  may  be  sure  He  i^  infinitely  more  willing 
than  you  are.  Sinners  cemplain  of  the  want  of  ability ; 
but  what  is  their  inability  but  their  unwillingness? 
Coming  to  Christ  is  an  act  of  the  will,  and  therefore  to 


SUCCESS  IN  THE  GOSPEL    MINISTET.  331 

will  it  heartily,  is  to  perform  the  act."  And  he  repre- 
sents the  sinner's  excuse,  founded  upon  his  supposed  in- 
ability, to  be  as  absurd  as  that  of  a  thief  who  should 
say,  "  I  have  such  an  aversion  to  honesty,  that  I  cannot 
possibly  help  stealing." 

13.  A  strong  sense  of  the  incomparable  excellence  of 
divine  truth,  and  its  ad'inirahle  adaptation  to  convert 
the  hearts  of  sinnerz.  Says  the  Apostle  Paul,  "  I  de- 
termined to  know  nothing  among  you  save  Jesus  Christ, 
and  him  crucified ;  ' '  and  every  successful  preacher 
must  have  those  absorbing  views  of  the  excellency  of 
divine  truth,  which  shall  make  him  regardless  of  all 
other  knowledge  which  does  not  very  directly  contribute 
to  give  efficacy  to  this.  Nor  is  this  all.  Such  views 
give  unspeakable  encouragement  and  support  to  a  min- 
ister, in  addressing  these  truths  to  the  consciences  of 
men.  He  knows  the  nature  of  the  weapon  which  he  is 
called  to  wield.  It  is  "  the  sword  of  the  spirit," 
"  piercing  to  the  dividing  asunder  of  the  joints  and  the 
marrow,  and  proving  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts  and 
intents  of  the  heart."  While  he  presses  upon  the  sin- 
ner the  earnest  expostulations,  and  pathetic  entreaties, 
and  tremendous  denunciations  of  the  Gospel,  how  is  he 
encouraged  to  put  forth  every  effort,  by  the  reflection 
that  these  appeals  are  perfectly  adapted  to  the  nature 
of  man  !  The  truths  he  preaches  now  given  by  the  in. 
spiration  of  that  very  Spirit  to  whose  converting  in- 
fluences he  looks  for  success.  Well  may  he  hope,  then, 
that  God,  even  through  his  feeble  instrumentality,  will 
**  honor  his  word  above  all  his  name." 

14.  A  high  degree  of  enjoyment  in  the  work  of  the 
ministry. 


332  SUCCESS   IN  THE   GOSPEL    MINISTEY. 

Paul  and  Silas  in  prison,  and  with  their  feet  fast  in 
the  stocks,  and  stripes  on  their  backs,  were  so  happy 
that  they  could  not  sleep.  At  midnight  they  prayed  and 
sang  praises  to  God.  Paul  says  at  another  time  :  I  am 
filled  with  comfort ;  I  am  exceeding  joyful.  Thanks  be  to 
God  who  always  causeth  us  to  triumph  in  Christ." 

Whitefield,  speaking  ot  a  place  in  London,  where  he 
and  others  held  their  prayer-meetings,  says  :  "  It  was  a 
Pentecost  season  indeed.  Sometimes  whole  nights  were 
spent  in  prayer.  Often  have  we  been  filled  as  with  new 
wine  ;  and  often  have  I  seen  them  overwhelmed  with 
the  divine  presence,  and  crying  out :  '  Will  God  indeed 
dwell  with  men  upon  earth  '  ?  How  dreadful  is  this 
place  !  There  is  no  other  than  the  house  of  God  and 
the  gates  of  Heaven." 

He  says  in  his  journal :  "I  have  been  upon  the  stretch 
preaching  constantly  for  almost  three  weeks,  my  body  is 
often  extremely  weak,  but  the  joy  of  the  Lord  is  my 
strength,  and  by  the  help  of  God  I  intend  going  on  till 
I  dr:>p,  or  this  poor  carcase  can  hold  out  no  more." 
Again  he  complains  of  being  sick,  but  says :  The  Re- 
deemer fills  me  with  comfort.  I  am  determined  in  his 
strength  to  die  fighting."  "  Go  where  I  will  says  he, 
"  in  the  Island  of  Bermuda,  upon  the  least  notice, 
houses  are  crowded,  and  the  poor  souls  that  follow  are 
soon  drenched  in  tears."  "  In  Scotland,  he  says  :  "  Thou- 
sands and  thousands  have  I  seen,  before  it  was  possible 
to  catch  it  by  sympathy,  melted  down  under  the  word 
and  power  of  God."  With  such  scenes  almost  constantly 
before  him,  how  could  he  be  otherwise  than  happy  ? 

It  is  said  of  Pearce,  that  "  he  seemed  to  have  learnt 
that  heavenly  art,  so  conspicuous  among  the  primitive 


SUCCESS  IN  THE   GOSPEL    MINISTRY.  333 

Christians,  of  convertiog  everything  he  met  with  into 
materials  for  love  and  joy,  and  praise.  The  constant 
happiness  he  enjoyed  in  God,  was  apparent  in  the  effects 
of  his  sermons  upon  others.  Whatever  we  feel  our- 
selves, we  shall  ordinarily,  communicate  to  our  hearers ; 
and  it  has  been  noticed  that  one  of  the  distinguishing 
properties  of  his  discourses  was  that  they  inspired  the 
serious  mind  with  the  liveliest  sensations  of  happiness. 
They  descended  upon  the  audience,  not  indeed  like  a 
transporting  flood,  but  like  a  shower  of  dew,  gently  in- 
sinuating itself  into  the  heart,  insensibly  dissipating  its 
gloom,  and  gradually  drawing  forth  the  graces  of  faith, 
hope,  love,  and  joy.  While  the  countenance  was  bright- 
ened almost  into  a  smile,  tears  of  pleasure  would  rise, 
and  glisten,  and  fall  from  the  admiring  eye." 

Much  of  Payson's  experience  was  like  that  of  Brain- 
erd.  After  passing  through  many  dark  hours  and  pain- 
ful conflicts,  the  scene  brightens,  and  he  was  favored  with 
seasons  of  ecstatic  enjoyment,  equal  to  anything  to  be 
found  in  the  records  of  experimental  religion.  O  what 
a  Master  do  I  serve  !  "  says  he  :  "I  have  known  nothing, 
felt  nothing  all  my  days,  even  in  comparison  with  what 
I  now  see  in  him.  Never  was  preaching  such  sweet 
work  as  it  is  now." 

"  This  good  news,"  (refering  to  some  indications  of  a 
revival),  "  filled  me  with  joy  and  triumph.  O,  I  wanted, 
even  then,  to  begin  my  eternal  song  ;  and  excess  of  hap- 
piness became  almost  painful.  Could  scarcely  sleep  for 
joy."  At  another  time  he  speaks  of  his  having  such  a 
manifestation  that  he  says  :  "  I  would  not  have  given  a 
straw  for  the  additional  proof  which  a  visible  appear- 
ance of  Christ  would  have  afforded  of  his  presence." 


334  SUCCESS  IN  THE   GOSPEL    MINISTRY. 

Again,  towards  the  close  of  life,  he  says :  "  If  my  hap- 
piness continues  to  increase,  I  cannot  support  it  much 
longer. '^  On  being  asked  if  his  views  of  Heaven  were 
clearer -and  brighter  than  ever,  he  said  :  "  For  a  few 
moments  I  may  have  had  as  bright,  but  formerly  my 
joys  were  tumultuous  ;  now  all  is  calm  and  peaceful." 
"  I  think  the  happiness  I  enjoy  is  similar  to  that  enjoyed 
by*  glorified  spirits  before  the  rusurrection." 

His  letter  to  his  sister  will  be  remembered  by  all  who 
have  read  his  life,  as  one  of  the  most  astonishing  pro- 
ductions ever  dictated  by  man  while  clothed  with  the 
garments  of  morality.  "  I  can  find  no  words  to  express 
my  happiness ;  I  seem  to  be  swimming  in  a  river  of 
pleasure  which  is  carrying  me  on  to  the  great  fountain." 
Thus  he  continued  until  his  sun  set  in  a  flood  of  glory, 
and  he  died  exclaiming,  "  peace  !  peace  !  victory  !  vic- 
tory !  "  May  the  writer,  and  all  who  may  read  these 
pages,  so  live,  that  through  grace  we  may  end  our  lives 
thus  triumphantly. 


CHAPTER   LII. 

CAUSES  OF  UNSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTRY. 

[EXTBACTS  SUPPOSED  TO  BE  BY  RE"^.  WM.  C.    WALTON.] 

The  christian  ministry  is  an  institution  of  God.  Its 
object  is  the  salvation  of  lost  men  ;  and  for  the  at- 
tainment of  this  object,  it  is  clothed  with  mighty  en- 
ergies. It  is  intrusted  with  the  dispensation  of  a  gos- 
pel, which  is  declared  to  be  the  wisdom  and  the  pow- 
er of  God  to  salvation.  Whatever  is  great  and  ven- 
erable in  the  character  of  the  infinite  God  ;  whatever 
is  imperative  and  binding  in  his  moral  government 
over  men ;  whatever  is  tender  and  winning  in  his 
boundless  love  in  Christ  Jesus,  or  momentous  and 
solemn  in  the  realities  of  eternity,  "  the  immortality 
of  the  soul,  the  feUcities  of  heaven,  and  the  punish- 
ments of  hell ;"  all  is  committed  to  the  ministry  of  re- 
conciHation,  as  means  of  accomplishing  the  great  end 
of  its  institution, — the  recovery  of  ruined  man  to  the 
image  and  favor  of  his  God.  Yet  this  ministry,  in  the 
hands  of  men  at  the  present  day,  seems,  in  many  cas- 
es, strangely  divested  of  its  life-giving  power.  Its 
practical  results,  in  the  conversion  and  spiritual  im- 
provement of  mankind,  are  far  less  than  might  be  ex- 


336  UNSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTRY. 

pected  from  the  nature  and  design  of  the  institution, 
far  less  than  they  were  in  the  early  days  of  Christian- 
ity, and  far  less,  we  may  be  sure,  than  they  will  be 
before  the  arrival  of  the  latter-day  glory  of  the 
church. 

The  evidences  of  this  lamentable  want  of  ministerial 
success,  are  many  and  decisive.  Look  at  the  state  of 
religion  in  our  churches.  Is  it  such  as  might  be  ex- 
pected from  the  ample  means  of  grace  furnished  in 
the  gospel  of  Christ  ?  The  number,  indeed,  is  not 
small,  of  those  who,  qn  the  whole,  appear  to  be  chris- 
tians ;  but  how  very  imperfectly  is  the  image  of  Christ 
drawn  upon  their  hearts,  or  exemplified  in  their  lives  I 
Of  the  greater  part  of  the  members  of  our  churches,  it 
may  with  the  strictest  truth,  be  said,  "  that  when  for 
the  time  they  ought  to  be  teachers,  they  have  need  that 
one  teach  them  again  which  be  the  first  principles  of 
the  oracles  of  God,  and  are  such  as  have  need  of  milk, 
and  not  of  strong  meat."  • 

How  too,  is  it,  that  so  many  under  the  preaching  of 
the  present  day,  are  deceiving  themselves  with  a  false 
hope?  The  fact  cannot  be  questioned.  No  one  who 
forms  his  views  of  christian  character  from  the  bible, 
can  avoid  the  painful  conviction,  that  there  are  many 
in  our  churches  who  have  a  name  to  live,  while  they 
are  dead,  and  are  going  down  to  ruin  with  a  lie  in 
their  right  hand.  Would  it  be  so,  if  the  gospel,  in 
its  discriminating  and  exposing  power,  were  duly 
pressed  on  the  heart  and  conscience  ? 

Look,  too,  at  the  multidude  of  impenitent  persons, 
who  sit  from  year  to  year  under  the  preaching  of  the 
present  day,  entirely  secure  in  their  sins.     They  come 


tJNSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTRY.  337 

to  and  go  from  the  house  of  God,  from  sabbath  to 
sabbath,  and  that  too,  perhaps,  for  a  long  Ufe,and  yet 
remain  wholly  ignorant  of  their  character  and  destiny, 
and  receive  their  first  conviction  of  guilt  and  con- 
demnation on  opening  their  eyes  in  a  miserable  eter- 
nitv. 

Notice,  also,  the  infrequency  and  short  continuance 
of  revivals  of  religion.  These  precious  visitations  of 
mercy  generally  come  at  far  distant  intervals,  last  but 
a  little  while,  and  are  too  often  greatly  marred  and  in- 
jured by  a  large  mixture  of  deception  and  false  re- 
ligion,— a  fact  which  has  long  appeared  to  us  to  in- 
dicate something  wrong  in  the  mode  of  conducting 
revivals  of  religion, — something  deficient,  unskilful 
and  erroneous,  in  the  manner  of  presenting  God's 
truth,  and  using  the  other  means  of  carrying  on  a 
work  of  grace. 

But  we  need  not  enlarge  on  the  evidences  of  a  want 
of  success  in  the  ministry.  The  fact  is  as  obvious  as 
it  is  melancholy.  The  question  now  arises,  to  what 
causes  is  this  want  of  success  to  be  attributed  ?  Why 
is  it,  that  the  gospel,  as  preached  at  the  present  day, 
so  often  fails  of  its  end?  Why  is  it  not  more  gen- 
erally proved  by  actual  results,  to  be  the  power  of 
God  unto  the  salvation  of  them  that  hear  it?  Is  it 
said  that  the  heart  of  man  is  desparately  wicked,  and 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  only  can  change  the  heart  and 
bring  men  to  repentance  ?  Nothing  is  more  true. 
But  the  gospel,  it  should  be  remembered,  is  God's  own 
ordinance, — his  own  appointed  instrument  for  effect- 
ing this  great  spiritual  change  ;  and  the  divine  influ- 
ence, which  is  admitted  to  be  indispensable  to  the 
29 


'^■'^8         unsuccessful:ness  in  the  ministiiy. 


t»C'i 


conversion  of  a  sinner,  instead  of  rendering  this  in- 
strument powerless,  is  the  very  thing  which  invests 
it  with  the  high  character  claimed  for  it,  of  being  the 
power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God  unto  salvation. 

The  question  then  returns, — What  are  the  causes 
of  unsuccessfulness  in  the  ministry?  Why  are  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel,  and  the  influence  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  render  it  effectual,  so  often  found  in  separa- 
tion and  at  a  distance,  one  from  the  other  ?  Is  the 
cause,  every  minister  should  seriously  inquire,  in  no 
degree  identified  with  myself?  Is  there  nothing  in 
the  spirit  and  manner  of  my  ministration?,  which  de- 
prives them  of  the  co-operating  influences  of  God's 
spirit,  and  prevents  their  appropriate  fruits  from  be- 
ing more  abundantly  realized  among  the  people  of 
my  charge  ? 

In  pursuing  the  question  before  us,  we  shall  spend 
no  time  in  remarks  upon  that  sort  of  preaching,  which 
denies  or  conceals  the  great  doctrines  of  the  gospel, 
which  substitutes  the  inventions  of  men  for  the  veri- 
ties of  God,  and  aims  onlv  to  deceive  its  hearers  with 
the  sophistries  of  error,  or  to  amuse  them  with  pret- 
tiness  of  style  and  manner.  There  is  much  of  this 
kind  of  preaching  in  our  land  and  the  cause  of  its  utter 
unfruitfulness  is  too  plain  to  need  pointing  out.  The 
question  relates  to  preaching  which  is  essentially 
correct  in  doctrine,  and  evengelical  in  spirit  and  aim. 

1.  One  cause,  then,  we  apprehend,  why  preaching 
of  this  character  is  not  more  generally  successful,  is 
found  in  a  faulty  method  of  presenting  the  doctrine  of 
God's  sovereignty  and  man's  dependence. 

These  doctrines  we  hold  to  be  true  and  important, 


UNSaCCESSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTEY.  339 

and  a  scriptuml  exhibition  of  them  is  of  eminent  use 
in  bringing  sinners  to  repentance  and  salvation.  The 
exhibition  wldch  we  regard  as  scriptural,  is  that 
which  brings  the  greatest  amount  of  moral  influence 
to  bear  on  the  heart  and  conscience  ;  which,  while  it 
cuts  off  se]f-confidence  on  the  one  hand,  prevents  self, 
justification  and  sloth  on  the  other,  and  impels  the 
subject,  under  a  persuasion,  that  it  is  ''God  who  work- 
eth  in  him  to  will  and  to  do"  to  '^vork  out  his  own 
salvation  with  fear  and  trembling."  This  is  the  true, 
practical  effect  of  the  doctrine  ot  God's  sovereignty 
and  ma'i's  dependence,  as  taught  in  the  bible. 

But  the  doctrine    may  be  so  stated,  and  if  we  mis- 
take not,  often    has   been    so    stated,  as  to  weaken  or 
destroy  a  sense  of  obligation,  and  lay  the  conscience 
asleep.      Why  is  it,  that  so  many  are  to  be  found  sit. 
ting  under  the  ministry  of  the  present  day,  who  con- 
stantly assert  their  dependence  on  God,  as  an  excuse 
for  continuance  in    sin, — who  are  wont  to  meet  every 
call  to  repentance,  with    the    plea,  that    they    cannot, 
but  must  wait   God's  time  ;  and  are  actually  quieting 
*hemselves  in  a  state  of  condemnation,  under  an    im. 
pression    that    they    have    nothing  to  do,  and  can  do 
nothing,  in  the  great  business  of  securing  salvation  ? 
Why  is  it,  too,  that  there  are  in  our  churches  so  many 
professors    of  religion,  who,  whenever    summoned  to 
prayer  and  eflbr*-,  as  the  appointed  and  hopeful  means 
of  a  revival  in  religion,  fold    their  arms  in  sloth,  and 
excuse  themselves  on  the  ground,  that  this  is  the  work 
of  God,  and  they  must  wait  his  time  to  accomplish  it  ? 
Here    is   a    practical    perversion    of  the    doctrine    of 
God's  sovereignty  and  man's  dependence, — a  perver- 


340  UNSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  TUB  MINISTRY. 

sion  of  wide-spread  and  most  pernicious  influence ; 
and  whatever  other  causes  may  be  assigned  for  its 
prevalence,  it  must,  we  think,  in  no  small  part,  be 
traced  to  a  faulty  method  of  stating  the  doctrine  in 
question. 

There  is  a  theology  quite  too  prevalent  in  some 
parts  of  our  country,  which  is  wont  to  present  the 
sovereignty  of  God  in  such  a  light,  as  to  make  it  little 
else  than  the  mere  dictation  of  arbitrary  will  and 
power, — binding  men  in  the  chains  of  an  inexorable 
fate  ;  which  denies  to  man  all  proper  ability  to  obey 
God,  and  makes  his  dependance  on  divine  grace  such, 
as  renders  it  physically  impossible  for  him  to  perform 
spiritual  duties.  And  even  where  this  crude  theology 
is  not  carried  to  the  extent  here  represented,  where, 
indeed,  it  is  discarded  as  false,  language  is  sometimes 
heard  from  the  pulpit,  respecting  the  doctrine  now 
under  consideration,  which  can  hardly  fail  to  make  a 
WTong  impression  on  the  minds  of  sinners,  ready  as 
they  always  are  to  seize  upon  anything  as  an  excuse 
for  neglect  of  duty.  If,  for  example,  the  doctrine  of 
divine  sovereignty  and  human  dependence  is  so  pre- 
eented,  as  to  infringe  on  free  agency,  or  set  aside  tha 
connection  between  means  and  ends;  if  men  are  told 
that  they  have  no  power  to  repen-t  or  do  their  duty; 
that  they  are  directly  dependent  on  God  for  all  their 
exercises,  and  are  so  under  the  dominion  of  a  de- 
praved nature,  inherited  from  Adam,  (or  born  with 
,  them  and  making  a  part  of  them,)  and  that  they  can 
do  nothing  to  help,  but  only  to  hinder,  their  salvation  ; 
they  wnll  always  receive  the  impression,  that  they 
cannot  "be  to  blame"  for  being  what  and  where  they 


UNSUCCESSrULNESS  IN  IHE  MINISTRY.  341 

are, — that  sin  is  their  misfortune  and  not  their  crime, 
and  that  any  attempt  to  escape  from  their  condition 
and  turn  to  God,  is  absurd  and  useless.  The  preach- 
er who  uses  this  language,  may  perhaps  mean  b}'  it, 
what  is  true  and  important;  but  there  is  a  great  deal 
of  the  most  hurtful  error  involved  in  it,  and  if  he 
does  not  carefully  guard  his  statements  on  this  sub 
ject,  he  is  sure  to  be  misunderstood.  While  he  seri- 
ously aims,  it  may  be,  to  awaken  and  save  his  hear- 
ers, he  is,  in  fact,  administering  to  them  a  deadly  opi- 
ate, and  quieting  them  in  the  repose  of  undisturbed 
impenitence  and  sin. 

Against  this  false  and  ruinous  impression,  every 
minister  who  would  be  successful  in  winning  souls  to 
Christ,  must  direct  his  most  strenuous  efforts.  While 
it  remains,  the  case  of  the  sinner  is  hopeless.  In- 
struction and  warning,  exhortation  and  entreaty,  can 
do  him  no  good.  The  delusion  that  he  has  nothing 
to  do,  and  can  do  nothing  to  secure  salvation,  is  a 
triple  shield  to  his  conscience,  and  stupid  continu- 
ance in  sin  is  the  inevitable  consequence.  The  great 
aim  of  the  preacher  should  be,  so  to  present  the  doc- 
trine of  the  bible,  as  to  lay  upon  the  conscience  of 
the  sinner  the  full  weight  of  his  obligations,  and  to 
make  him  feel  that  whatever  may  be  true  respecting 
the  sovereigty  of  God  and  man's  dependence,  there 
is  nothing  in  either,  which  in  the  least  militates  against 
free  agency  and  accountability,  or  allows  the  slightest 
hope  of  salvation  in  a  state  of  carlessness  and  sloth. 

It  should  be  made  to  appear,  as  it  certainly  may  be, 
that  the  sinner's  dependence  on  God  for   repentance 
is  a  dependence  of  his  own   creating,  growing  out  of 
39* 


342  UNSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTRY. 

his  love  of  sin  and  voluntary  aversion  to  duty,  and 
which^  while  it  suspends  his  salvation  on  the  good 
pleasure  of  God,  renders  him  altogether  inexcusable 
and  guilty  for  continuing  a  moment  longer  in  his  sins* 
This  view  of  the  subject  cuts  off  excuse,  and  fixes 
the  blame  where  it  ought  to  rest.  It  leaves  the  whole 
weight  of  the  sinner's  obligation  pressing  on  the 
conscience,  and  is  well  fitted  to  make  him  feel,  that  if 
he  perishes,  his  blood  will  be  upon  his  own  head.. 

We  close  this  topic  with  the  remarks,  that,  if  a 
minister  entertains  any  such  views  of  the  doctrines 
just  considered,  or  of  any  other  doctrines  of  the  Bible, 
as  in  the  least  embarrass  him,  in  urging  upon  sinners 
an  immediate  ccmpliance  with  the  terms  of  salvation, 
or  which  when  duly  presented,  would  diminish  in  the 
transgressor  a  sense  of  obligation,  and  of  guilt  for 
neglect  of  duty  ;  such  views,  he  may  be  sure,  are 
radically  false,  and  of  pernicious  tendency.  This  is 
a  practical  test,  by  which  every  minister  would  do 
to  tr}''  his  theological  views. 

2.  Ministers  are  not  enough  in  the  habit  of  pre- 
senting the  gospel  to  the  minds  of  their  hearers,  as  a 
cause  fitted  and  designed  to  bring  them  to  immediate 
repentance  and  submission  to  God.  In  its  nature 
and  design,  the  gospel  is  such  a  cause.  While  it 
comes  with  the  offer  of  pardon  and  life  to  lost  men, 
its  authoritative  demand  is,  that  they  report  and  ac» 
cept  the  offer,  and  that  they  do  it  now.  In  this 
character  it  was  uniformly  presented  by  the  apostles  ; 
and  thus  urged,  it  wrought  wonders  in  the  hearts 
and  lives  of  men.  They  met  their  hearers  in  the 
most  free  and  unembarrassed  manner,  just  as  if  they 


ttNStJCCEiSSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTRY.  S4^ 

intended  and  expected  to  persuade  them  to  become 
christians  on  the  spot.  In  pressing  home  the  claims 
of  duty  they  appear  not  to  have  felt  the  least  difficulty 
from  any  doctrinal  views  of  the  atonement,  or  of 
man's  dependence,  or  of  God's  sovereignty  and  pur- 
poses. They  addressed  men  as  free  moral  agents, 
every  way  capacitated  to  hear  and  obey  the  voice  of 
God.  They  addressed  them  as  guilty,  perishing  sin- 
ners, standing  in  infinite  need  of  the  mercy  offered 
them  in  the  gospel  ;  and  having  made  known  to  them 
the  way  of  salvation  by  Christ,  they  urged  home  the 
duty  of  an  immediate  acceptance  of  him,  as  the  only 
and  all-sufficient  Saviour  of  lost  men. 

In  their  manner  of  delivering  God's  message,  we 
see  no  protracted  process  of  using  the  means  of 
grace  pointed  out :  no  analysis  of  difficulties  to  be 
gotten  over;  no  philosophical  explanation  of  the 
origin  and  nature  of  sii',  or  of  the  mode  of  the  change 
effected  in  regeneration  ;  no  allowance  of  any  future 
time  to  repent,  or  of  any  delay  of  duty  in  the  attitude 
of  passively  waiting  God's  time  to  give  repentance. 
All  was  plain  matter  of  fact. — direct  summons  to  duty. 
And  was  not  this  straight-forward,  direct  way  of 
prc'-iching  the  gospel,  with  the  fixed  design  and  earn- 
est expectation  of  its  being  immediately  and  power- 
fully efficacious,  which  in  primitive  times  produced 
such  great  and  sudden  results  in  the  conviction  and 
conversion  of  sinners?  Repentance  and  faith  are  in- 
deed preached  at  the  present  day,  as  duties  of  immedi- 
obligation  ;  but  frequently,  it  is  believed,  with  other 
statements  which  break  the  force  of  these  duties,  and 
quiet  the  conscience  in  sin ;  and  instead  of  looking 


344  UKSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTRY. 

for  effects  in  accordance  with  such  preaching,  noth- 
ing, perhaps,  would  strike  the  preacher  hinfiself  with 
greater  astonishment,  than  to  see  his  hearers  actually 
repenting,  as  did  those  of  Peter,  while  he  was  yet 
announcing  to  them  the  message  of  God.  The  most 
he  expects  even  from  his  best  efforts  is,  that  possibly 
some  of  his  hearers  may  be  induced  to  attend  to  the 
subject ;  or,  to  use  a  common  illustration,  that  the 
seed  sown  may,  perchance,  spring  up  and  bear  fruit 
at  some  future  day.  Of  anything  beyond  this, 
neither  preacher  or  hearer  scarcely  ever  dreams. 
The  consequence  is,  that  the  gospel  is  in  a  great 
measure  deprived  of  its  power,  and  comparatively 
few  immediate  effects  are  realized  from  its  min* 
istrations. 

The  preacher  too  often  expects  little  from  the 
publication  of  God's  message  ;  and  this  expectation 
is,  ordinarily,  the  cause  of  its  own  fulfillment.  It 
paralizes  effort,  and  prayer,  and  hope — makes  his  dis- 
courses from  the  pulpit  abstract,  cold,  and  distant, 
and  renders  the  sword  of  the  Spirit  an  ineffective, 
powerless  weapon.  For  if  ministers  preach,  or  peo- 
ple hear,  under  an  impression,  that  no  immediate 
effects  ^re  to  be  produced,  what  more  can  be  ex- 
pected, than  that  they  should  preach  in  vain,  and  the 
people  hear  in  vain  ?  The  gospel,  ministered  and 
heard  in  this  manner,  is  not  brought  to  bear  in  the 
heart  and  conscience.  It  does  not  so  much  as 
touch  the  main-springs  of  feeling  and  action  in  the 
fcoul.  A  wide  space  is  created  between  it  and  the 
mind — a  region  of  vacancy,  over  which  no  influence 
can    pass,  to    awaken    fear  or  impel  to  effort.     No 


UNSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTRY.  345 

sinner  ever  repent,  till  he  is  made  to  feel,  that  sub- 
mission to  God  can  be  delayed  no  longer — that  the 
surrendry  of  the  soul  is  a  duty  binding  now,  and  to 
be  done  now.  To  produce  this  irapresion,  should  be 
the  great  aim  of  a  minister  in  all  his  preaching,  con- 
versation and  prayers.  Let  him  regard  the  gospel  of 
Christ  a-  an  instrument  of  heavenly  temper,  adapted 
and  intended  to  produce  present  re-ults;  let  him,  in 
reijance  upon  the  promised  aids  of  the  Spirit,  prepare 
and  deliver  his  discourses  under  the  inspiring  ex- 
pectation of  realizing  such  results,  and  who  can  doubt 
whether  new  life  and  power  would  be  imparted 
to  his  ministry ;  and  new  and  more  abundant 
fruits  be  gathered  therefrom  ?  It  is  said  of  White- 
field,  that  he  always  entered  the  pulpit  with  an 
expectation,  that  the  message  he  had  to  deliver  would 
be  blessed  to  the  salvation  of  some  of  his  hearers. 
This  is  the  true  principle  of  faith — the  vitality  and 
power  of  the  minisrry  ;  it  honors  God  and  honors  his 
truth  ;  and  to  a  defect  of  this  principle  may  be  traced 
in  no  small  degree,  the  want  of  success  in  the 
ministry. 

3.  And  the  cause  of  this  is,  the  want  of  skill  in 
adapting  divine  truth  to  the  particular  state  and 
character  of  those  ivho  attend  upon  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel.  There  is  an  exact  correspondence  be- 
tween the  truths  of  the  Bible  and  the  principles  of  the 
human  mind :  and  when  these  truths  are  clearly 
presented,  and  faithfully  applied,  they  never  fail  to 
produce  impression  and  feeling.  The  skill  thus  to 
present  and  apply  the  truth  of  God,  is  the  perfection 
of  preaching.     It  was  this  which  gave  the  preaching 


346  UNSUCCESSFCJLNESS  IN  THE  MINISTRY. 

of  Christ  such  amazing  pungency  and  power.  He 
always  aimed  at  the  heart ;  afid  as  he  knew  what 
was  in  man,  he  was  always  able  to  apply  to  each  one 
of  his  hearers,  the  truth  best  adapted  to  meet  his 
particular  state  and  character.  Hence  it  is  worthy  of 
special  notice,  that  our  Saviour  rarely  preached  a 
Bermnn  which  did  not  produce  very  visible  and 
marked  effect — which  did  not  confirm  and  comfort 
his  friends,  and  disturb  and  distress  his  enemies. 
We  know  some  preachers  at  the  present  day  who 
possess,  in  a  very  high  degree,  this  divine  skill  of 
dissecting  the  heart,  and  adapting  the  truths  of  God's 
word  to  the  principles  of  the  human  mind;  and  such 
preachers  are  always  impressive  and  powerful. 
Wliile  Christians  are  edified  and  established  in  the 
faith,  under  their  clear  and  discriminating  application 
of  truth,  sinners  are  distressed  and  alarmed,  and  are 
compelled  to  feel  the  guilt  and  misery  of  their  condi- 
tion. Such  a  preacher  was  Edwards.  With  almost  no 
aid  from  voice,  or  gesture  and  manner,  he  could  fix  an 
audience  in  breathless  silence  and  deep  solemnity  of 
feeling.  His  profound  knowledge  of  the  Bible,  and  of 
the  human  heart  enabled  him  to  speak  to  the  consci- 
ousness of  every  one  who  heard  him  ;  so  that  each 
one  was  bound  to  reflect,  in  language  like  that  of  the 
woman  of  Sychar:  ^'Here  is  a  man  revealing  to  me 
the  secrets  of  my  own  heart  and  life  ;  is  not  this  man 
from  God  ?" 

In  no  respect,  perhaps,  are  sermons  more  apt  to  fail 
than  in  this.  We  hear  a  great  deal  of  preaching 
which  is  entirely  powerless,  because  it  is  not  true  to 
nature — not  exact  in  its  delineation  of  character,  nor 


UNSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  TEE  MINISTRY.  347 

discriminating  in  its  applications  of  truth.  It  is 
vague^  declamatory,  and  pointless ;  proving  what 
needs  no  proof;  explaining  what  needs  no  explana- 
tions ;  keeping  always  at  a  distance  from  the  heart 
and  conscience,  forever  going  round  and  round,  but 
never  coming  directly  to  the  point.  It  speaks  of  de- 
pravity and  wickedness,  of  guilt  and  danger,  of  re- 
pentance and  salvation,  of  heaven  and  hell;  but  all  in 
such  an  indefinite,  indiscriminate  manner,  that  no  one 
feels  himself  described,  or  personally  interested  in 
what  is  said.  Such  preaching  may  have  many  at- 
tractive qualities  ;  it  may  be  learned,  and  elegant, 
and  popular;  but  it  altogether  fails  of  the  great  end 
of  preaching.  It  robs  divine  truth  of  its  power  to 
sanctify  and  save,  and  leaves  the  hearer  to  slumber 
on  in  his  sins,  utterly  ignorant  of  himself  and  his 
future  destiny.  Such  is  the  stupidity  and  blindness 
of  man,  that  general  truths  do  not  affect  him.  To 
arouse  him  from  his  slumbers,  and  excite  him  to 
action,  the  preacher  must  come  nearer,  and  speak  so 
as  to  meet  his  particular  case  He  should  aim  to  set 
each  hearer  by  himself,  and  to  make  him  feel  that  the 
truth  uttered  is  the  very  truth  meant  for  him.  This 
rarely  fails  to  produce  effect.  It  brings  the  gospel 
of  God  in  direct  contact  with  the  conscience  ;  and 
when  this  is  done,  its  power  to  awaken  and  impress 
must  be  felt. 

4.  Preaching  often  fails  of  success,  for  tvant  of 
boldness  and  directness  in  its  exhibitions  of  Ood^s 
truth.  We  do  not  mean,  by  these  qualities,  any 
harshness  of  language  or  manner,  or  calling  sinners 
by  hard  and  irritating  names :  as  if  to  do  them  good, 


348  UNSUCCESSFtFLIs^ESg  li?  THE  MiNISTrvY. 

it  were  necessary  to  make  them  angry.  Nothing 
like  this  should  ever  be  uttered  from  the  sacred  desk. 
There  all  should  be  respectful,  kind,  and  winning. 
We  mean  by  boldness,  an  undisguised,  honest  declar- 
ation of  the  whole  counsel  of  God  ;  and  by  direct- 
ness, such  an  application  of  the  truths  of  his  word,  as 
will  make  an  audience  feel  that  the  preacher,  means 
them.  There  is  in  the  preaching  of  the  present  day 
a  great  want  of  this  plain,  faithful  dealing  with  the 
conf^ciences  ot  men.  There  is  too  much  of  what  one 
very  properly  calls  ''pulpit  exhibition," — a  mere  flour- 
ish of  fine  language  and  brilliant  images,''  or  what  is 
quite  as  bad,  of  useless  disquisition,  consisting  in  the 
discussion  of  topics  foreign  to  the  great  business  of 
salvation, — ''in  making  nice  and  intricate  distinctions, 
whicl],  like  the  lines  of  the  spider,  are  invisible,  ex- 
cept to  an  eye  of  peculiar  acuteness,  and  which,  when 
seen,  are  like  the  same  lines,  of  no  possible  use  to 
man."  All  ministers  are  apt  to  think,  that  they  are 
plain  preachers :  and  it  may  be  admitted,  that  no 
preachers  on  earth  have  a  juster  claim  to  this  charac- 
ter than  the  evangelical  ministers  of  this  country. 
But  when  we  look  into  the  New  Testament,  and  see 
how  Christ  and  his  apostles  dealt  with  their  hearers  ; 
when  we  consider  the  nature  of  the  case,  and  reflect, 
that  ministers  are  embassadors  for  Christ  to  guilty 
men — that  they  stand  daily  in  the  midst  of  the  dead 
and  the  dying,  and  are  going,  with  the  immortal  beings 
committed  to  their  charge,  to  the  bar  of  Christ,  to 
meet  the  joyous  or  dread  awards  of  His  judgment 
seat ;  we  cannot  but  feel  that  the  most  faithful  need 
much  more  boldness  and  directness  in  the  discharge 


UNSCrCCESSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTRY.  349 

of  their  ministerial  duties.  They  are  in  clanger  of 
destroying  their  people,  through  fear  of  offending 
them.  The  case  is  desperate.  Sinners  must  be 
awakened,  or  lost ;  they  must  be  converted  oi  damned. 
This  is  the  only  alternative.  The  malady  with  which 
they  are  afi'ected  is  so  obstinate  that  no  slight  reme- 
dies will  avail.  The  discussion  of  abstract  principles, 
soft  and  distant  bints  of  danger,  cold  and  unimpas- 
sioned  calls  to  repentance,  meet  not  the  exigency 
of  the  case. 

Such  treatment  serves  rather  to  delude  and  destroy, 
than  to  awaken  and  save.  The  whole  truth  of  God 
must  be  told, — told,  too,  in  plain  and  direct  applica- 
tion to  the  hearers,  and  pressed  on  the  conscience  so 
closely,  that  each  one  shall  feel  that  he  has  a  person- 
al interest  in  the  message  delivered.  Thus  did  Christ 
preach  ;  thus  did  the  apostles  preach  ;  and  all  history 
and  observation  go  to  show,  that  it  is  the  preaching 
which,  in  every  age,  has  been  crowned  with  the  great- 
est success.  There  is,  also,  in  the  preaching  of  the 
present  day,  too  much  of  a  dry,  cold,  analytical  meth- 
od,— less  indeed  than  formerly, — but  still  too  much. 
Instead  of  expressing  strong  feeling  in  delivering  the 
messages  of  God,  many  go  about  to  analyze  it.  In- 
stead of  throwing  themselves  upon  their  hearers  by 
bold  fervid,  direct  annunciation  of  the  great  facts,  and 
duties,  and  promises,  and  threatenings  of  the  bible, 
they  proceed  too  much  with  the  reserve  and  caution 
of  a  special  pleader,  as  if  they  expected  every  position 
to  be  assailed,  and  every  argument  controverted. 
Hence  their  sermons  have  more  of  the  character  of  a 
dissertation,  or  a  theological  lecture,  than  of  a  warm 

30 


350  UNSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTEY. 

solemn,  persuasive  address  to  the  heart  and  con-^ 
science.  The  train  of  thought,  the  illustration  and 
language,  though  perhaps  very  ingenious,  and  adjust- 
ed with  the  greatest  precision  and  taste,  are  entirely 
above  the  mass  of  hearers,  and  consequently  convey 
no  instruction,  and  make  no  impression.  Discourses 
from  the  pulpit,  too,  are  often  greatly  deficient  in  a 
straight-forward,  business-like  character.  They  are 
formed  too  much  according  to  rule,  and  not  enough 
under  the  impulse  of  feeling  and  prayer,  and  with  di- 
rect reference  to  impression  and  effect.  They  do  not 
come  home  sufficiently  to  the  bosoms  and  business  of 
men  ;  meetinif  them  in  their  every-day  character  and 
wants,  and  appealing  directly  to  known  and  common 
principles  of  action. 

Religion  is  treated  too  much  as  a  strange,  anomo* 
ious  concern, — as  something  that  is  to  be  taught,  ac- 
quired and  acted  upon,  in  a  manner  entirely  foreign 
to  all  that  belongs  to  the  common  business  and  pur- 
suits of  men  :  whereas  it  ought  to  be  presented  as  the 
plainest  and  most  important  concern  of  every  man, — 
as  a  thing  that  addresses  itself  to  every  principle  and 
feeling  of  the  human  mind,  and  as  connected  with  all 
the  relations  and  duties  of  life.  Sermons  often  fail 
of  effect,  because  they  teach  nothing, — are  mere  essays 
or  fancy  pieces, — have  no  method,  no  point,  no  weight  J 
are  composed  without  object  and  without  aim;  are  as 
applicable  to  one  audience  as  to  another,  and  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  planets,  as  to  sinners  on  earth. 

All  this  tends  directly  to  obstruct  and  defeat  the 
great  end  of  preaching.  Every  sermon  ought  to  be 
made  with  reference  to  a  particular  object  j  and  ev- 


"DNSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTRY.  351 

ery  illustration  and  argument  should  have  a  direct 
bearing  on  the  attainment  of  that  objeo,t.  In  treating 
with  men  on  the  high  concerns  of  judgment  and  mer- 
cy, there  is  no  time  for  playing  with  the  imagination 
and  passions  ;  none  for  metaphysical  subtleties,  or  cu- 
rious speculations,  or  vague  and  general  reasonings, 
which  have  no  reference  to  the  case  in  hand.  This  is 
never  done  by  the  successful  advocate  at  the  bar;  it 
is  never  done  by  any  man  whose  soul  is  set  upon 
great  objects,  and  who  is  deeply  in  earnest  to  accom- 
plish them.  Here  all  is  plain,  direct,  and  glowing. 
So  it  should  be  with  the  preacher.  He  should  come 
directly  to  the  point, — should  feel  that  his  business 
is  with  the  immortal  beings  now  before  him  ;  and 
rejecting  everything  that  is  foreign  to  his  object,  he 
shall  aim,  by  a  fearless,  direct,  earnest  application  of 
God's  truth  to  their  particular  state  and  character,  to 
rouse  them  from  their  slumbers  and  bring  them  to 
Christ  for  salvation.  So  he  would  preach,  if  he  knew 
it  were  his  last  sermon  ;  and  no  minister  knows,  when 
he  meets  his  people  in  the  house  of  God,  but  that  it 
is  the  last  time  he  shall  meet  them,  till  he  meets  them 
before  the  bar  of  judgment. 

5.  It  deserves  to  be  inquired,  in  this  connection, 
whether,  in  the  discourse  of  the  present  day,  sufficient 
prominence  is  gi^en  to  what  is  appropriately  called 
preaching  Christ  That  in  many  of  the  pulpits  of  our 
land,  there  is  a  lamentable  deficiency  in  this  respect, 
admits  of  no  question,  Christ,  in  his  appropriate  char- 
acter and  work,  is  entirely  lost  sight  of;  and  his  gos- 
pel, of  course,  is  wholly  deprived  of  its  power  to  reno- 
vate and  save.     But,  may  not  the  deficiency  extend 


352  UNSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTRY. 

farther  than  is  generally  supposed  ?  May  it  not  reacih 
even  the  pulpits  of  our  evangelical  ministers,  and  op- 
erate, in  some  cahes  at  least,  to  prevent  the  success 
of  their  ministrations  ?  Any  one  who  has  attentively 
observed  the  style  of  preaching  most  prevalent  at  the 
present  day,  must,  we  think,  have  noticed,  that  the 
most  common  topics  of  pulpit  discussion  have  been 
the  moral  law  and  government  of  God  ;  the  full  and 
depravity  of  man ;  the  nature  and  necessity  of  regen- 
eration, natural  and  moral  ability,  the  entire  capacity 
and  full  obligation  of  sinners  to  obey  God,  together 
with  their  just  and  certain  condemnation  if  they  neg- 
lect to  do  this. 

Now,  we  are  not  saying  that  these  topics  are  unim- 
portant. They  are  plainly  of  imriiense  importance. 
Without  a  distinct  and  full  exhibition  of  them,  the 
gospel  cannot  be  preached  intelh'gibly,  or  with  the 
least  hope  of  success.  But  then,  they  may  fill  too 
large  a  place  in  a  minister's  time  and  attentionj  and 
be  exhibited  by  him  too  much  in  the  form  of  dry, 
philosophical  speculations,  with  no  suitable  reference 
to  Christ  and  the  great  purpose  of  his  mediation. 
Whenever  this  is  the  case,  the  effect,  we  cannot 
doubt,  must  be  eminently  unhappy.  It  is  a  remark  of 
the  excellent  Cecil,  that  "men  who  lean  toward  the 
extreme  of  evangelical  privileges  in  their  ministry, 
do  much  more  for  the  conversion  of  their  hearers, 
than  those  who  lean  toward  the  extreme  of  require- 
ment."  A  proper  union  of  the  two,  is  the  happy 
medium.  The  preaching  that  leaves  Christ  out  of 
view,  and  dwells  unduly  upon  what  may  be  called  the 
severer  parts  of  religion,  tends  to  produce   insensibil- 


trNSrrCCESHFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTRY.  353 

ity  and  hardness.  It  spreads  over  a  congregation  the 
frosts  and  snows  of  a  moral  winter.  All  is  dark,  and 
cold,  and  cheerless,  till  warm  and  vivifying  beams 
from  the  sun  of  rigliteousness  penetrate  and  melt  the 
ice,  and  quicken  into  life  and  fruitfulness  the  seed  of 
the  word. 

"Christ  is  God's   great  ordinance," — the  grand  ex- 
pedient of  infinite    wisdom  to  subdue    the    enmity  of 
the  heart,  and  reclaim  an  alienated  world  to  holiness 
and  heaven.     Nothing  ever  has  been,  or  can  be  done 
to  any  good  purpose,  in  saving  sinners,  and  especially 
in  perfecting  the  saints  in  holiness  and  love,  any  fur-' 
ther  than  Christ  is  held  forth  in  the  true  glory  of  his 
character  and  excellence  of  his  work.     In  this  view, 
it  may  safely  be  affirmed,  that  the   preaching  which 
has  in  it  most  of  Christ, — of  Christ  in  the  divine  dig- 
nity of  his  person,  in  his   mediation ;  of  Christ  in  his 
atonement,   in*  his    exaltation   and    intercession;  of 
Christ   reigning   in    glory,  and    coming   hereafter  in 
judgment, — is  the  preaching   which  will  be  most   suc- 
cessful in  winning  souls  to  him  ;  in  forming  them  into 
a  divine   resemblance    of  himself,  and  in  fitting  them 
for  his    holy    Kingdom.     There  is  a  softening,  subdu- 
ing influence  thrown  over  the  ministry,  that  is  deeply 
imbued  with  the  spirit  and  doctrine    of  Christ,  which 
tarns  into  feebleness  all  the  efforts    of  mere  learning, 
and   talents,  and    genius.     Of  this,  the   apostle   was 
aware,  and   therefore   determined   to    know   nothing 
among   his   hearers,  save    Christ   and   him  crucified. 
Every  minister  who  would  see  the  work  of  the  Lord 
prosper  in  his   hands,  must   come  to  the  same   deter-  - 

mination.     He  must  not  rest  satisfied   with   making 
30* 


354  UNSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTRY. 

the  doctrine  of  the  cross, — of  Christ  crucified,  a  top- 
ic of  occasional  exhibition.  He  must  dwell  upon  it 
much  and  often,  and  with  affectionate  earnestness 
and  interest,  naaking  it  the  very  basis  and  burden  of 
his  ministry,  and  the  life  of  all  his  services.  He  must 
have  his  heart  and  mind  so  filled  with  the  spirit  and 
meaning  of  this  doctrine,  that  on  whatever  subject 
he  preaches,  or  whatever  duties  he  performs,  Christ 
crucified  to  atone,  and  reigning  to  save,  shall  support 
all,  illustrate  all,  enforce  all,  pervade  all  with  its 
heavenly  light  and  quickening  power.  All  his  in- 
structions must  tend  toward  Christ;  all  his  exhorta- 
tions point  to  Christ ;  all  the  lines  of  his  ministry, 
and  labors  of  his  life,  meet  and  cemlre  in  Christ, 
and  be  made  subservient  to  the  one  grand  purpose  of 
displaying  his  glory,  and  extending  the  triumphs  of 
his  cross. 

• 

This  is  the  preaching  which  wrought  such  wonders 
in  primitive  times;  which    caused    the    temples    and 
the  altars    of  idolatry  to  crumble  into  dust,  and  dark- 
ness to  flee  away  from  a  thousand  lands ;  the   preach- 
ing which  kindled  the  light  and  extended  the  glory  of 
the  reformation ;  the    preaching   in    whic^h   Brainerd; 
was  engaged,  when   the   Holy    Spirit,  like  a  mighty, 
rushing  wind,  pervaded  his  assembly  of  Indians,  and 
melted   and   subdued    them    unto    the    obedience    of 
faith;  the  preaching  which  the  Moravian  missionaries 
found  so  efficacious  in  the  salvation  of  the   poor,  be- 
nignted    Greenlanders,  after   all   other   modes  of  in- 
struction had  been  tried  and  proved    ineffectual  ;  and 
ithe  nearer  we  approximate  to  this  kind  of  preaching, 


tTNSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTRY.  355 

the  more  abundantly  will  the  Holy  Spirit  shed  down 
his  influence  to  crown  our  doctrine  with  success. 

6.  Another  cause  of  the  unsuccessfulness  of  preach- 
ing, is  the  want  of  obvious  entire  devotedness  on  the 
part  of  ministers,  to  the  great  business  of  their  call- 
ing. Far  be  it  from  us  to  intimate,  that  the  great 
body  of  the  ministers  of  the  present  day  are  not 
pious  men.  We  only  mean  to  say,  that  if  they  were 
more  eminently  pious  and  devoted j  they  would  be 
more  emfiinently  successful  in  winning  souls  to  Christ. 
Of  this,  who  can  entertain  a  doubt?  Nothing  gave 
such  power  to  the  ministrations  of  the  apostles,  as 
their  obvious,  unreserved  consecration  to  the  service 
of  God,  and  the  good  of  their  fellow-men.  It  was  a 
standing  miracle  in  the  eyes  of  the  heathen,  and  did 
more  than  all  arguments,  to  convince  them  of  the 
truth  and  importance  of  religion. 

They  saw  in  the  men  who  spake  to  them  the  word 
of  God,  a  living  illustration  of  the  gospel  which  they 
were  called  to  embrace,  and  the  effect  was  great. 
So  it  must  be  from  the  nature  of  the  case.  Nothing 
will  preach  like  a  holy  life  ;  nothing  come  home  to 
the  heart  and  conscience,  like  that  disinterested,  self- 
consecrating  benevolence,  which,  while  it  speaks  the 
truth  in  love,  shows  itself  ready  to  spend  and  be 
spent  for  the  good  of  its  object.  Brainerd  in  his  last 
sickness,  often  spoke  of  the  great  need  which  minis- 
isters  have  of  much  of  the  spirit  of  Christ  in  their 
work,  and  how  little  good  they  are  likely  to  do  with- 
out it.  "When  ministers,"  he  said,  "were  under  the 
special  influences  of  the  spirit  of  God,  it  assisted  them 
to  come   at   the   consciences    of  men,  and,  as    he   ex- 


356  UKSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINlSTllY. 

pressed  it,  to  handle  them  with  hands  ;  whereas,  with- 
out the  spirit  of  God,  said  he,  whatever  reason  and 
oratory  we  employ,  we  do  but  make  use  of  stumps, 
instead  of  hands. 

When  we  read  the  life  of  Baxter,  and  witness  his 
burning  zeal,  his  untiring  diligence,  his  supreme  devo' 
tion  to  the  cause  of  his  Saviour,  we  are  not  sur- 
prised at  the  great  and  almost  unequaled  success  of 
his  ministry.  When  he  settled  in  Kidderminster,  the 
whole  place  was  overrun  with  ignorance  and  profane- 
ness  ;  but  in  a  short  time,  under  his  wise  and  faithful 
labors,  it  became  as  the  garden  of  God, — havings 
church  of  more  than  six  hundred  members,  of  whom 
there  were  not  twelve,  as  he  tells  us,  concerning 
whose  piety  he  did  not  entertain  good  hopes.  Always 
in  earnest,  always  alive  and  engaged  in  his  Master's 
work,  he  conversed,  and  preached,  and  prayed,  as  if 
he  saw  the  great  white  throne  before  him,  and  expect- 
ed soon  to  be  called  to  give  up  his  account.  So  when 
w^e  read  the  life  of  Shepard,  and  learn  from  his  writ- 
ings, particularly  his  ^'Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins," 
the  holy  emotions  of  his  spirit,  his  deep  acquaintance 
with  the  heart,  and  his  Avonderful  skill  in  opening 
and  applying  the  truths  of  God's  word,  we  are  pre- 
pared to  hear  it  stated  of  him,  that  he  rarely  preached 
a  sermon  without  marked  and  visible  effect;  so  that 
it  was  common  for  those  who  had  been  detained  from 
the  services  of  the  sanctuary,  to  ask  of  them  who  had 
been  present,    "  On  whom   has  the  word  wrought  to 

dav?'' 

A  minister  who  has  a  deep,  habitual  sense  of  divine 
things ;  who  is  seen  to  be  devoted  in  body,  soul  and 


UNSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTEY.  357 

spirit,  to  the  great  duties  of  his  calling,  possesses  a 
power  of  awakening  the  conscience  and  impressing 
the  heart,  which  no  acquisition  of  talents  or  learning 
can  bestow.  The  spirit  of  holiness  which  dwells  and 
reigns  within,  throws  around  his  ministry  a  healthful, 
life-giving  influence.  It  cau'^'es  all  his  studies  and 
attainments, — all  his  public  and  private  services,  to  be 
instinct  with  life  and  feeling  ;  and  under  the  influence 
of  this  inward,  heart-felt  conviction  of  eternal  things, 
he  will  choose  his  subjects,  not  for  show,  but  for 
profit ;  He  will  handle  them,  not  to  set  ojBf  himself, 
but  to  honor  his  Saviour ;  he  will  preach,  not  to  please, 
but  to  save  his  hearers  ;  he  will  deliver  his  message, 
"  not  coldly,"  as  if  he  did  not  believe  it ;  but  with  the 
sincerity  and  earnestness  of  a  man  bent  upon  great 
efforts,  and  who  feels,  in  the  very  depths  of  his  soul 
the  momentous  realities  of  religion  and  eternity.  In 
the  same  spirit  he  will  move  among  his  people  as  an 
angel  of  light.  He  is  seen  to  be  a  man  of  God  in  the 
pulpit,  and  he  is  seen  to  be  a  man  of  God  out  of  the 
pal  pit.  Every  day,  and  on  all  occasions,  his  great  gov- 
erning purpose  is  manifest, — the  salvation  of  those  for 
whom  God  has  appointed  him  to  watch.  For  this 
purpose  he  is  early  and  late  in  his  study,  that  he  may 
bring  out  of  his  treasure  things  new  and  old.  For 
this  purpose,  he  will  throw  himself  ahead  of  his  peo- 
ple in  zeal  and  efforts  to  do  good, — manifesting  among 
them  the  spirit  of  a  reformer,  and  leading  them  on  to 
higher  attainments  in  piety  and  usefulness.  For  this 
purpose  he  gathers  around  him  the  children  and  youth 
of  his  charge,  in  the  sabbath-school  and  bible-class, — 
appoints  and  maintains  stated  meetings  for  conference 


358  UNSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  THE  MINISTRY. 

and  prayer, — visits  from  house  to  bouse,  that  he  may 
learn  the  character  and  wants  of  his  people,  and  know 
how  to  give  to  each  a  portion  in  due  season.  To 
crown  all,  he  daily  and  humbly  waits  on  God  for  his 
blessing,  knowing,  that  without  this,  all  means  are 
unavailing.  He  waits  not  in  the  way  of  indolence,  as 
if  he  had  nothing  to  do;  nor  in  the  way  of  presump- 
tion, as  if  God  in  his  sovereignty  would  interpose, 
without  regard  to  the  connection  between  means  and 
ends  ;  but  he  waits  in  humble,  believing  prayer,  fol- 
lowed with  corresponding  exertions, — praying  with  a 
fervency  and  simplicity  of  reliance  on  God,  as  if  all 
depended  on  him  ;  and  at  the  same  time,  studying, 
preaching,  and  laboring,  as  if.all  depended  on  hinnself. 
This  is  the  true-spirit  of  the  ministry  ;  and  is  it  not 
to  a  deficiency  of  this  spirit,  to  a  want  of  this  entire 
devotedness  to  the  duties  of  the  sacred  office,  that  we 
are  to  trace  the  frequent,  the  lamentable  unsuccess- 
fulness  of  ministerial  labors  ?  We  mean  not  here  to 
reprove  or  accuse.  Rather  would  we  confess  and 
mourn  over  our  own  unfruitfulness  in  the  vineyard 
of  our  Lord.  But  when  or  where,  we  ask,  was  it  ev- 
er known,  that  a  minister,  giving  himself  wholly  to  hia 
work,  and  conducting  his  ministrations  in  the  spirit 
and  manner  here  sketched,  has  been -left  to  labor  with- 
out manifest  and  most  encouraging  tokens  of  success  ? 
True,  God  is  a  sovereign,  and  when  the  best  means 
are  used,  it  is  he  who  giveth  the  increase.  But  he  is 
a  sovereign  in  no  such  sense  as  to  invalidate  his 
promises,  or  break  the  connection  between  means  and 
ends.  In  dispensing  the  blessings  of  his  grace,  he 
acts  in  the  line  of  second  causes ;  and    all  facts,  as 


tJNSUCCESSFtrLNESS  IN  THE  MINISTEY.  359 

Well  as  all  scripture,  go  to  prove  that  the  ministry 
which  is  most  deeply  imbued  with  the  spiiit  of  Clirist, 
and  labors  most  assiduously  and  wisely  in  his  cause, 
is  the  ministry  which  he  will  crown  with  tlie  greatest 
success.  How  weighty  and  solemn,  then,  are  the  mo- 
tives which  urge  the  ministry  to  high  and  untiring 
effort  in  the  great  work  to  which  God  has  called  them  I 
They  watch  for  souls,  as  those  who  must  give  ac- 
count ;  and  the  destiny  of  many,  for  eternal  ages,  de- 
pends, in  no  small  degree,  on  the  manner  in  which 
they  perform  the  duties  of  their  high  calling.  O,  what 
manner  of  persons,  then,  ought  they  to  be,  in  all  holy 
conversation  and  godliness  !  What  simplicity  of  pur- 
pose, what  purity  of  motive,  what  piety  and  devoted- 
ness,  that  they  may  save  both  themselves  and  those 
who  hear  them  !  Two  things  that  are  exceeding 
needful  in  ministers,"  says  Edwards,  as  they  would 
do  any  great  matters  to  advance  the  kingdom  of 
Christ,  ai^e  zeal  and  resolution.  The  influence  and 
power  of  these  things,  to  bring  to  pass  great  effects, 
is  greater  than  can  well  be  imagioed.  A  man  of  an 
ordinary  capacity  will  do  more  with  them,  than  one 
of  ten  times  the  parts  and  learning  can  do  without 
them.  The  very  sight  of  a  thoroughly  engaged  spir- 
it with  a  fearless  courage  and  unyielding  resolution, 
in  any  person  that  has  undertaken  the  managing  of 
any  affair  among  mankind,  goes  a  great  wiy  toward 
accomplishing  the  effect  arrived  at.  When  the  peo- 
ple see  these  things  apparently  in  a  person,  and  to  a 
great  degree,  it  awes  them,  and  has  a  commanding  in- 
fluence upon  their  minds  ;  it  seems  to  them  they  must 
yield,  without  standing  to  contest  or  dispute  the  mat- 


360  UNSUCCESSFULNESS  IN  TEE  MINISTRY. 

ter.  But,  while  we  are  cold  and  heartless,  and  only 
go  on  in  a  dull  manner,  in  an  old  formal  round,  we 
shall  never  do  any  great  matters. 

Our  attempts,  connected  with  the  appearance  of 
such  coldness  and  irresolution,  will  not  so  much 
as  make  persons  think  of  jielding  ;  they  will  hardly 
be  sufficient  to  put  it  into  their  minds.  He  adds, "  our 
misery  is  want  of  zeal  and  courage  ;  for  not  only 
through  want  of  these,  does  all  fail,  that  we  seem  to 
attempt,  but  it  prevents  our  attempting  any  thing  very 
remarkable  for  the  kingdom  of  Christ."  O,  for  larg- 
er measures  of  spiritual  influence  to  be  shed  down 
upon  the  ministry,  to  awaken  in  the  heralds  of  salva- 
tion a  warmer  zeal,  and  a  more  entire  devotedness  to 
the  great  work  to  which  God  has  called  them. 


CHAPTER  LIU. 

CHARACTERISTICS  AND  REWARDS  OF  THE  SUCCESSFUL 

MINISTER. 

(BXTRACT.) 

By  Rev.  R.  H.  Conklin. 

As  Christ  came  into  the  world  to  save  siniiersy  ih-Q 
successful  minister  must  be  a  "wo7^ker  together  with 
Him^^  in  aQComplishing  His  great  object. 

Wis  ruling  purpose  must  be  to  glorify  God  in  the 
salvation  of  men. 

He  must  drink  deeply  from  the  wells  of  salvation^ 
that  his  preaching  may  become  a  tributary  stream  to 
the  river  of  life,  bearing  on  its  broad  bosom  great 
multitudes  of  renewed  and  sanctified  souls.  So  His 
ministers  should  look  upon  no  class  as  beyond  the 
hope  of  mercy. 

Christ  preached  a  system  of  definite  truth,  adapted 
to  the  wants  of  men.  His  ministers  should  preach  in 
a  similar  manner,  the  same  truths  — no  more — no 
less. 

Christ  sought  to  secure  the  immediate  conversion 
of  individual  men.  In  this  regard  his  ministers  should 
imitate  their  Lord   and   Master,  rather  than  make  it 

31 


362  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  SUCCESSFUL  MINISTER. 

their  endeavors  to  exert  a  generalinfluence  by  vest- 
ments, cathedrals  and  musicj  or  by  the  delivery  of 
mere  Tnoral  essays. 

If;  as  ministers,  we  desire  the  greatest  religious 
success,  we  must  aim  supremely  to  live  perfectly  holy 
as  Christ  did,  and  imitate  his  example  in  preaching  his 
gospel,  as  he  preached  it  when  on  earth. 

The  minister  of  Christ  must  preach  a  pure  gospel, 
and  concentrate  around  the  Cross  the  last  hope  of  a 
dying  world.  His  confidence  must  be  in  the  efficacy 
of  the  word  and  spirit  of  Almighty  God.  For  truth  is 
the  moral  conductor  of  God's  spirit — the  divine  elec- 
tric power  to  vitalize  the  world  with  positive  influence, 
that  it  may  become  a  savor  of  life  unto  life.  He 
must  look  beyond  the  most  formidable  obstacles  and 
both  seek  and  expect  the  interposition  of  the  Almighty 
with  whom  nothing  is  imposible.  *^ 

When  he  is  aiming  directly  and  specifically  at  a 
special  revival  among  christians  and  the  conversion  of 
sinners^  he  must  be  careful  not  to  dissipate  or  divert 
the  attention  of  his  hearers  by  too  great  a  variety  of 
subjects,  but  concentrate  plain  and  appropriate  truthy 
and  press  it  earnestly  on  the  conscience  with  unbroken 
force,  until  the  grace  of  God  triumphs  and  the  object 
is  gained.  With  direct  efforts  he  must  confidently  eoj- 
pect  success,  for  the  Almighty  hath  said  :  ^'  He  that 
goeth  forth  and  weepeth,  bearing  precious  seed,  shall 
doubtless  come  again  with  rejoicing,  bringing  his 
sheaves  with  him." 

But  he  must  also  have  an  earnest  mangier.  His 
words  must  fall  with  convincing  power,  because 
they  glow  with  the  intense  anxiety  of  his  soul  for  the 


CHARACTEKISTICS  OF  THE  SUCCESSFUL  MINISTER.   363 

conversion  and  sanctification  of  men.  His  own  soul 
must  be  di  furnace  of  heat,  that  he  may  pour  a  flood  of 
burning  truth  into  the  hearts  of  his  hearers^  so  that  by 
the  divine  blessing,  souls  shall  be  saved. 

Finally,  the  glorious  reward  of  the  successful  preach- 
er should  stimulate  him  to  great  faithfulness  in  his 
efforts. 

"And  they  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  brightness 
of  the  firmament ;  and  they  that  turn  many  to  right- 
eousness, as  the  stars  forever  and  ever." 

That  you  may  more  highly  appreciate  this  divine 
promise,  go  in  the  cloudless  night,  when  the  firma- 
ment of  heaven  is  radiant  with  a  thousand  stars,  gaze 
upward  till  your  soul  is  overwhelmed  with  the  inex- 
pressible glory  that  surrounds  you  ;  then  remember  it 
is  only  the  type  of  glory  that  awaits  the  faithful  minis- 
ter in  the  future  world.  But  before  he  shall  attain 
that  blessedness,  God  will  give  him  o.  foretaste  of  what 
is  to  come. 

The  final  approval  of  "Well  done  good  and  faithful 
servant,"  may  be  reserved  to  the  last  day,  when  the 
steals  and  trophies  of  his  ministry  shall  appear  with 
him  in  glory ;  but  even  on  earth,  mingling  with  his 
sufferings  and  toil,  communion  with  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Spirit,  and  the  sweet  consciousness  of  a  success- 
ful instrumentality  in  the  conversion  of  great  multi- 
tudes of  sinners,  will  constitute  an  amount  of 
blessedness  far  transcending  the  enjoyment  of  men 
who  live  for  this  world  without  God  and  the  Chris- 
tian hope. 

Truly,  in  keeping  the  commandments  of  God,  there 
is  great  reward. 


364  CHARACTEEISTICS  OF  THE  SUCCESSFUL  MINISTEE. 

Does  the  noble-hearted  philanthropist  who  toils 
hard  on  the  field  of  humanity,  view  with  delight  the 
reults  of  his  labors — the  miserable  and  unfortunate 
restored  to  virtue  and  happiness — the  tear  of  sorrow 
wiped  away,  and  the  smile  of  gladness,  as  once  more 
the  sun  of  prosperity  sheds  its  cheerful  light  on  the 
pathway  of  life  ?  How  much  more  the  successful 
preacher  of  the  glorious  gospel  of  the  blessed 
God,  whose  success  passes  heyond  the  limits  of  time, 
and  spreads  itself  over  an  eternity  to  come — the  esti- 
mation of  whose  labor  is  not  merely  in  temporal 
advantage,  but  an  eternal  weight  of  glory  I  Even  the 
anticipation  of  a  joyful  recognition  in  heaven  of  indi- 
viduals, saved  through  our  ministry,  is  full  of  sacred 
pleasure.  What  then  will  be  the  reality — the  unut- 
terable emotions  of  the  first  interviews  in  heaven, 
when  conflict,  doubt  and  fear  no  longer  mar  the  com- 
munion of  saint? 

We  read  that  "one  star  difiereth  from  another  star 
in  glory." 

Each  star  has  its  glory.  But  he  who  has  turned 
many  to  righteousness,  shall  become  a  central  star  in 
u  constellation  of  gkyrnfled  spirits  saved  by  his  instrii- 
mentality. 

Each  shall  reflect  his  proper  light,  hut  he  shall  shine 
with  peculiar  lustre  and  brilliancy^  as  the  brightness 
of  the  firmament  in  the  kingdom  of  God  "forever  and 
ever,  when  Sun,  Moon  and  Stars  wax  old,  and  pass 
away  from  the  firmament." 


THE  PREACHER'S  WORK  AND  REWARD. 
By  Rev.  S.  D.  Phelps,  D.  D. 

Preach  the  Word  in  every  nation, 

Gospel  truth  to  all  our  race ; 
Let  them  know  the  great  salvation, 

Let  them  find  recovering  grace. 
Glorious  message!  blest  evangel! 

Which  the  Lord  ascending  gave; 
Work  most  royal !  not  an  angel 

Souls  immortal  thus  could  save. 

How  they  flew  to  distant  regions — 

Pioneers  of  Jesus'  cross — 
Met  and  vanquished  Satan's  legions, 

Oft  in  peril,  pain  and  loss : 
Preaching  still  'mid  scorn,  disaster. 

Gladly  was  redemption  hailed; 
Glorified  was  Christ  the  Master, 

Mightily  the  word  prevailed. 

Oh,  ye  heralds !  now  appointed 

To  this  noblest  service  known, 
By  the  Spirit  called — anointed — 

Be  your  true  credentials  shown. 
In  the  zeal  that  knows  no  waning 

Christ  to  preach  and  souls  to  gain, 
In  the  churches'  holy  training 

Till  the  Lord  in  each  shall  reign. 
31» 


366       THE  preacher's  work  and  reward. 

On  the  power  of  God  depending, 

By  the  Spirit  strong  in  prayer, 
Armed  by  faith,  in  love  contending, 

Gracious  victories  you  share. 
Heaven  drops  down  its  showers  of  blessing, 

Reapers  sheaves  abundant  bring, 
Sinners  come  to  Christ  confessing. 

Harvest  home  the  reapers  sing! 

Sweet  your  rest,  and  sweeter  waking. 

When  is  closed  the  work  of  love. 
Grateful  from  the  Master  taking 

Glorious  crowns  of  life  above. 
Farewell,  fears  and  self-denials! 

Mortal  night  hath  passed  away ; 
Farewell,  vigils,  toils  and  trials ! 

Welcome,  everlasting  day! 

See  in  Heaven  the  faithful  preacher, 

With  the  seals  of  his  reward ; 
How  they  throng  to  bless  the  teacher 

Who  had  led  them  to  the  Lord ! 
Wise  to  save ! — a  sunlike  lustre 

Brightens  all  their  home  divine ; 
As  the  stars — a  radiant  cluster — 

They  in  endless  glory  shine ! 


CHAPTER  LIV. 

PREACHING    TO    THE    MASSES. 

[AUTHORIZED  EXTRACTS] 

By  Rev.  T.  Db  Witt  Talmage,  D.  D. 

Who  are  the  masses  ?     The  very  great  majority. 

The  people  who  do  not  belong  to  this  class  are  the  ex- 
ception ;  they  are  men  who,  through  vast  accumulation 
of  wealth  or  through  unusual  culture  of  mind,  are  set 
apart  from  other  people  in  the  community.  What  I 
understand  by  the  word  "masses"  is,  "the  most  of 
folks."  Well,  now  it  is  a  settled  fact  that  the  great 
majority  of  people  in  our  cities  and  country  do  not  come 
under  religious  influence.  There  are  fifty  thousand  people 
in  Edinburgh  who  receive  not  the  Gospel ;  there  are  one 
hundred  thousand  in  Glasgow  who  come  not  under  Chris- 
tian influences ;  there  are  three  hundred  thousand 
people  in  the  city  of  Brooklyn  who  are  not  touched  by 
the  Churches ;  there  are  at  least  five  or  six  hundred 
thousand  people  in  the  city  of  New  York  who  are  no 
more  interested  in  the  Church  of  the  Lord  Jesus  than  if 
they  had  never  heard  of  a  Church.  And  the  great  and 
growing  question  of  to-day  is,  "  How  shall  we  bring  these 
people  in  contact  with  the  great  heart  of  Christ  ?  " 


S68  PREACHING  TO  THE  MASSES. 

We  talk  about  large  churches  and  large  audiences. 
The  largest  audiences  are  not  in  the  churches ;  they  are 
in  the  temples  of  sin.  The  tears  of  unutterable  woe  are 
their  baptism  ;  the  blood  of  crushed  hearts  is  the  wine 
of  their  awful  sacrament ;  blasphemies  their  litany ;  the 
groans  of  a  lost  world  the  organ-dirge  of  their  worship. 
A  vast  multitude  outside  the  kingdom  of  God  are  un- 
touched. We  do  not  come  within  five  thousand  miles 
of  reaching  them.  We  talk  about  people  living  four, 
five  or  six  blocks  from  a  church.  There  are  in  our  great 
cities  those  who  practically  live  thousands  of  miles  from 
any  church.  A  great  many  people  suppose  that  the 
Gospel  is  a  sort  of  "  swamp  angel  gun,"  with  which  you 
can  stand  away  off  and  shoot  six  miles.  The  Gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ  is  a  sword ;  you  have  to  clutch  it  in  your 
right  hand  and  go  down  where  men  are  and  strike  right 
and  left,  slaying  their  sorrows  and  their  sins.  We  must 
go  down  where  the  people  are.  If  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  had  stood  in  the  door  of  heaven  inviting  a  lost 
world,  would  the  world  have  come  ?  No,  no  1  Jesus 
Christ  came  down,  and  amid  the  sorrows,  the  sins,  and 
the  sufiferings  of  the  world,  invited  men  up  to  something 
better. 

The  condition  of  a  great  majority  of  the  people  in  our 
cities  is  illustrated  by  a  lad  who  stood  at  the  gate  of  one 
of  our  parks  sometime  ago.  A  minister  of  Jesus  Christ 
was  passing  along,  and  said  :  "  You  seem  to  be  poorly  off. 
Do  you  go  to  Sabbath-school?  "  "  No."  "  Do  you  go  to 
church  ?  "  "  No."  '*  You  ought  to  be  a  good  boy."  He 
answered :  "  We  poor  chaps  aint  got  no  chance."  That 
just  expresses  the  condition,  the  desolation,  the  moral 
bankruptcy  of  a  great  multitude  of  people  scattered  all 


PREACHING  TO  THE  MASSES.  369 

through  the  towns,  villages,  and  cities  of  this  country. 
The  great  sufifering  class  in  this  day  is  the  middle  class. 
Go  into  the  cities  and  larger  towns  and  you  find  the  rich 
and  the  poor.  The  rich  can  go  anywhere  they  please ; 
they  can  get  any  kind  of  religious  influence  they  please  ; 
they  can  pay  large  pew  rentals  ;  they  can  move  in  bril- 
liant society,  and  if  they  do  not  like  one  church  they  can 
go  to  another.  They  are  not  the  suffering  class.  For 
the  miserably  poor,  as  they  are  called,  there  are  mission- 
schools  established,  and  these  people,  who  are  the  very 
dregs  of  society,  or  so  called,  may  be  gathered  up  into 
these  mission. schools.  But  how  about  the  middle  classes  ? 
and  what  do  I  mean  by  the  middle  classes  1  I  mean  the 
men  who  have  to  tug  to  get  a  living,  who  make  a  thou- 
sand dollars  a  year  and  spend  a  thousand,  or  who  make 
two  thousand  and  spend  two  thousand  dollars  a  year  of 
their  income.  That  is  the  history  of  a  vast  majority  of 
the  people  both  in  the  country  and  in  the  city.  The  vast 
majority  of  people  have  no  worldly  surplus  at  the  end  of 
the  year.  These  are  the  men  who  do  not  get  the  Gos- 
pel ;  these  are  really  the  suffering  classes.  They  cannot 
go  to  the  high-rented  pew  church  ;  they  cannot  seek  out 
the  brilliant  sphere  in  which  they  would  like  to  move, 
and  they  are  too  proud  to  go  down  into  the  mission- 
schools,  and  so  they  get  no  kind  of  religious  influence. 

This  great  mass  outside  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
need  to  be  brought  in.  They  have  their  sorrows  and 
their  trials ;  they  have  their  dead  children  in  their 
houses  ;  they  have  their  sicknesses.  Why  is  it  thsst  they 
are  not  brought  to  Christ  ?  why  is  it  not  now,  as  it  was 
when  the  Lord  Jesus  was  upon  earth  and  he  went  through 
the  streets,  and  the  people  brought  out  their  palsied  and 


370  PEEACHING  TO  THE  MASSES. 

leprous  1  We  have  just  as  mucli  suffering  now  as  there 
was  then,  and  far  more ;  for  the  population  of  the  world 
is  so  much  increased.  Why  is  it  that  the  masses 
of  the  people  do  not  bring  out  their  suffering  ones  to 
Jesus  Christ  ?  Why  don't  mothers  bring  their  little 
ones,  and  say :  "  Lord  Jesus,  if  thou  canst  not  bless  me, 
bless  my  child  ;  and  if  thou  canst  not  bless  this  one  that 
is  well,  bless  this  poor  little  crippled  one ;  let  thy  mercy 
fall  on  him." 

I  will  now  mention  three  or  four  reasons  why  the 
masses  are  not  reached,  and  then  give  you  some  brotherly 
advice  as  to  how  you  may  be  qualified  to  reach  them, 

The  first  reason  of  failure  is,  intense  denominational- 
ism.  The  world  watches,  and  thinks  we  want  to  make 
them  all  Methodists,  or  all  Presbyterians,  or  all  Episco- 
palians. There  is  an  intense  denominational  ism  abroad 
in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ.  There  are  too  many  who 
cannot  look  over  the  wall  of  their  own  particular  de- 
nomination. I  believe  that  every  denomination  ought 
to  look  after  its  own  interests,  and  that  the  fences  ought 
to  be  kept  up  between  the  denominations ;  but  in  every 
fence  there  ought  to  be  a  gate  that  might  swing  open, 
or  bars  that  you  might  let  down. 

Now  we  need  to  show  the  world  that  we  have  a  desire 
dominant  over  all  sectarianism,  and  that  our  first  desire 
is  to  bring  the  people  into  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  Je- 
sus Christ,  whether  they  join  our  Church  or  some  other 
Church. 

One  Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism,  one  Christ,  one  dox- 
ology,  one  heaven !  The  time  must  come  w^hen  all  the 
people  belonging  to  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  of  all  names 
and  denominations  can  join  hands  around  the  cross  and 


PREACHING  TO  THE  MASSES.  371 

recite  the  creed,  "  I  believe  in  God  the  Father  Almighty, 
maker  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  in 
the  communion  of  saints."  But  depend  upon  it,  as  long 
as  the  masses  of  the  people  outside  have  an  idea  that  we 
are  chiefly  anxious  to  have  our  own  sect  and  denomina- 
tion prospered  and  dominant  they  will  not  come  in. 

Another  reason  why  the  masses  have  not  yet  been 
reached  is  because  we  have  adhered  too  m^uch  to  the  con- 
ventionalities and  severe  proprieties  of  the  Church.  Take 
the  matter  of  church  architecture.  For  the  most  part 
the  churches  in  this  country  are  not  so  attractive  as  the 
halls  and  the  theatres.  By  a  natural  law,  it  seems  to 
me  that  all  audiences  ought  to  be  gathered  as  around  a 
great  fireplace,  in  a  semicircular  form  of  architecture. 
Then,  instead  of  seeing  simply  the  back  of  a  man's  head, 
which  is  the  most  uninteresting  part  of  him,  you  see  his 
face  or  his  side  face.  When  there  is  a  half-circle  form 
there  is  a  law  of  sympathy  flowing  through  from  heart 
to  heart  that  you  cannot  get  in  an  angular  church. 
While  other  buildings  have  been  comparatively  well 
ventilated,  churches  have  been  but  poorly  ventilated ; 
while  other  edifices  have  been  brilliantly  lighted, 
churches  were  but  dimly  lighted.  Christianity  sits 
shivering  in  Gothic  churches,  and  religion  is  laid  out  in 
state.  Let  every^Church  committee  that  is  going  to  put 
up  a  building  resolve  to  have  a  church  just  to  suit  them- 
selves, regardless  of  stereotyped  notions.  This  dispo- 
sition from  generation  to  generation  to  stick  to  the  angu- 
lar kind  of  church  has  hindered  the  kingdom  of  God 
mightily  among  the  masses.  The  people  outside  who 
have  not  been  brought  up  to  go  to  church  will  not  go 
into  a  building  which  is  unsympathethic  and  cold. 


372  PREACHING  TO  THE  MASSES. 

We  have  been  attempting,  also,  to  adhere  too  much 
to  conventionalities  in  the  item  of  preaching.    The  ques- 
tion  is,  "  How  do  others  preach  ?  "  Then  we  must  preach 
just  as  they  do.    If  we  cannot  save  the  world  in  our  way 
we  won't  have  it  saved  at  all.     Let  the  twelve  hundred 
millions  of  the  race  die,  but  do  not  spoil  our  patent 
leathers !     We  have  no  right  to  be  stopping  to  consider 
how  otliers  do  the  work.     The  question  is,  "  How  does 
God  want  us  to  do  the  work?"     But  the  mere  con- 
ventionalities and  severe  proprieties  of  the  Church  of 
God  have  kept  back  the  people.     To  us  who  have  been 
brought  up  in  Christian  families,  and  have  been  taught 
all  our  days  to  go  to  church,  and  to  whom  going  to  church 
is  natural,  it  does  not  make  so  much  difference  what  is 
said,  or  the  way  it  is  said — we  will  go  to  church  anyhow. 
But  those  people  who  come  in  from  the  outside,  who 
have  no  proclivities  toward  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ, 
if  they  sit  down  and  find  everything  is  cold,  conventional, 
formal,  and  on  stilts,  they  will  not  come  a  second  time. 
So,  I  think,  the  Gospel  has  been  kept  back  from  the 
masses  because  we  have  been  such  sticklers  for  the  mere 
technicalities  of  religion.     I  think  it  is  very  important 
that  we  have  all  the  definitions  of  religion,  and  that,  in 
our  own  mind,  we  have  the  technicalities ;  but  we  never 
must  bring  them  before  the  people.     We  must  come  in 
the  plain  vernacular,  or  they  will  not  receive  or  under- 
stand us.     I  do  not  think  there  is  anything  more  impor- 
tant than  that  the  young  man  going  out  of  a  theological 
seminary  should  have  all  the  definitions  of  faith,  repen. 
tance,  adoption,  and  sanctification  in  his  mind.     There 
are  those  men  who  think  they  are  orthodox  when  they 


PREACHING  TO  THE  MASSES.  373 

are  not ;  they  simply  do  not  know  what  are  the  grand 
definitions  of  religion. 

But  while  every  young  man  going  into  the  ministry 
ought  to  be  familiar  with  "  theological  terms,"  he  must 
not  employ  them  before  the  people.  After  we  get  into 
the  ministry  we  spend  the  first  ten  years  in  letting  the 
people  hear  how  much  we  know  ;  we  spend  the  next  ten 
years  in  getting  them  to  know  as  much  as  we  do ;  and 
the  next  ten  in  finding  out  that  none  of  us  know  any- 
thing as  we  ought.  It  is  always  a  failure  when  a  man 
in  any  depart uient  carries  his  technicalities  into  busi- 
ness. What  would  you  think  of  a  physician  who  should 
go  among  the  j^eople  and  talk  about  the  "  pericardium," 
or  the  "  intercostal  muscles,"  or  "  scorbutic  symptoms." 
He  would  scare  a  man  to  death.  A  man  would  be  as 
much  confounded  as  the  one  who  was  studying  up  the 
case  of  his  wife  who  was  ill.  He  prided  himself  on 
doing  ev^ery thing  by  the  book.  He  had  a  book  upon 
practical  medicine.  He  was  talking  with  his  neighbors, 
and  said  he  had  been  reading  his  wife's  case  up,  and,  as 
far  as  he  could  tell  by  the  book,  she  was  thretened  with 
a  diagnosis,  and  if  she  got  that  it  would  certainly  kill 
her  !  Away  with  all  your  technicalities.  If  you  want 
to  bring  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  masses  do  not 
talk  about  "  complutensian  edition,"  "  hypostatic  union," 
'Trench  encyclopedism,"  "  Erastianism,"  and  "the 
eucharist."     The  would  not  listen  ten  minutes  to  it. 

If  you  talked  about  these  things  you   would  see  the 

people  take  their  hats  and  clear  out.     When  you  come 

into  the  ministry  there  will  sit  before  you  hundreds  of 

sinning,  suffering,  struggling,  dying  people.     They  come 

in  hungry  for  the  bread  of  life ;  they  want  to  know  how 
32 


374  PREACHING  TO  THE  MASSES. 

to  be  saved  ;  they  are  fully  persuaded  that  this  world  is" 
a  cheat,  and  cannot  satisfy  their  immortal  nature. 
There  will  be  hundreds  of  people  in  the  audience  who 
do  not  care  about  your  definitions.  Give  them  some- 
thing practical  from  the  Bible  and  from  your  own  heart, 
and  they  will  take  it ;  and  they  will  not  take  it  in  any 
other  way.  Suppose  when  you  get  into  the  ministry 
you  rise  and  preach  an  orthodox  sermon  on  justifica- 
tion, and  you  say,  in  the  words  of  a  learned  divine  of 
the  past  century,  whose  definition  I  copied,  for  I  could 
not  remember  it :  "  Justification  is  purely  a  forensic 
act,  the  act  of  a  judge  sitting  in  the  forum  in  which  the 
supreme  ruler  and  judge,  who  is  accountable  to  none, 
who  alone  knows  the  manner  in  which  the  ends  of  his 
universal  government  can  best  be  attained,  reckons  that 
which  was  done  by  the  substitute  in  the  same  manner  as 
if  it  had  been  done  by  those  who  believe  in  the  substi- 
tute, and  not  on  account  of  anything  done  by  them,  but 
purely  on  account  of  this  gracious  method  of  reckoning,, 
grants  them  the  full  remission  of  their  sins."  Now,  can 
any  of  you  tell  what  justification  is  ?  A  man  would 
want  a  directory  to  find  his  way  out  of  church  after 
hearing  that.  While  this  definition  of  justification  may 
be  most  excellent,  I  should  rather  tell  the  people, 
"  Justification  is  this  :  you  trust  in  Christ  and  God  will 
let  you  off." 

I  had  in  my  first  charge  an  Irish  girl,  who  came  to  my 
house  one  Friday  afternoon  and  said  :  "  I  would  like  to 
join  the  Church  to. morrow  evening."  I  said  :  *'  Bridget, 
do  you  think  you  are  ready  to  come  in  ?  "  She  replied  : 
"  I  think  I  am."  "  Well  now,"  said  I,  "  you  come  to- 
morrow night  to  the  meeting  of  Church  officers  and  we 


PREACHINO  TO  THE  MASSES.  375 

will  talk  it  over,  and  if  you  are  ready  we  will  be  very 
glad  to  have  you."  So  on  Saturday  night  she  came.  I 
put  a  few  plain  and  simple  questions  to  her,  and  she 
answered  them  all  satisfactorily,  whereupon  a  very  good 
man  in  the  consistory  (for  then  I  was  in  the  Reformed 
Dutch  Church)  said  :  ''  Bridget,  how  many  covenants 
are  there  V^  Well,  she  burst  out  crying.  Of  course 
she  could  not  answer.  The  good  Scotchman  who  asked 
the  question  shook  his  head,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  I  don't 
hardly  think  she  is  ready  to  come."  Well,  I  said  I 
would  like  to  ask  that  question  all  around  of  the  consis. 
tory  to  see  how  many  could  tell  how  many  covenants 
there  are,  and  what  they  are.  Then  I  said  :  "  Bridget, 
do  you  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ?"  "Yes,  I  do." 
^'  Are  you  sure  you  love  him  ?  "  Yes,  I  am."  "  How 
do  they  treat  you  up  in  that  place  where  you  are  now 
since  you  became  a  Christian  ?  "  "  They  treat  me  very 
badly  because  I  have  become  a  Christian,  and  they  laugh 
at  me  a  great  deal."  "  How  do  you  feel  when  they 
laugh  and  scoif  at  you  ?  "  "I  feel  very  sorry  for  them, 
and  I  pray  for  them."  I  said  :  "  I  think  that  will  do." 
She  was  just  as  fit  to  come  into  the  Church  as  any  man 
in  all  that  consistory.  She  did  not  know  how  many 
covenants  there  are,  but  she  knew  Christ. 

Another  reason  why  we  do  not  succeed  in  bringing  the 
masses  into  the  kingdom  of  God  is  because  of  a  real  lack 
of  sympathy  for  them. 

The  masses  come  on  the  outside  and  they  see,  by 
reason  of  the  conventionalities  of  the  Church,  "  No  ad- 
mittance ;  "  they  go  on  to  the  second  door,  and  there  is 
fiomething  in  the  chilling  frigidity  which  says  again  : 
"  Ko  admittance ; "  but  they  press  on  through,  out  of 


376  PREACHING  TO  THE  MASSES. 

curiosity,  and  they  get  inside,  and  there  they  find  us 
hammering  out  our  little  nicities  of  religious  belief, 
pounding  into  shape  our  little  peculiarities  of  theological 
sentiment — making  pins.  We  seem  to  act  as  though  we 
were  disposed  to  say  to  these  people  who  come  in  from 
the  outside,  "  Why,  this  is  a  church  for  respectable  sin- 
ners with  a  gloss  on,  and  not  for  such  sinners  as  you. 
The  few  people  that  we  get  into  our  Churches  are  the 
exceptional  cases.  The  Church  of  God  is  very  much 
like  a  hospital,  into  which  you  might  go  in  the  summer 
time,  after  a  severe  battle,  and  there  find  a  thousand 
patients,  and  up  in  one  corner  of  the  hospital  you  find  a 
doctor  who  is  taking  care  of  two  or  three  patients  ;  he  is 
taking  very  good  care  of  them.  You  say,  "  Doctor, 
haven't  you  attended  to  these  other  cases  ■?  "  "  No,"  he 
says :  "  I  have  three  interesting  cases."  "  How  long 
have  you  have  you  been  here.^"  "I  have  been  here 
three  days ;  these  are  ver}^  interesting  cases ;  I  am 
keeping  the  flies  off."  We  have  got  a  few  nice  cases  in 
the  Church,  very  interesting  people,  indeed.  We  are 
looking  after  them  ;  but  the  great  battle  field  is  outside, 
and  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  are  dying  of  their 
wounds,  and  we  have  not  the  courage  to  go  out  and  get 
them.  I  ask  if  those  thousands  outside  are  not  worth 
more  than  the  three  or  four  inside  ? 

Mark  this :  there  is  a  judgment  seat  in  every  man's 
heart.  Now  the  idea  is  abroad  that  in  order  to  have  an 
audience,  especially  in  the  cities,  you  must  preach 
humanitarianism,  or  you  must  preach  the  doctrine  of 
development,  or  you  must  hold  back  the  idea  of  the 
necessity  of  the  new  birth,  or  that  you  must  not  tell  the 
people  that  there  is  a  hell,  while  on  the  other  hand  you 


PREACHING  TO  THE  MASSES.  377 

tell  them  there  is  a  heaven.  There  never  was  a  greater 
mistake.  There  is  in  every  man's  heart  a  judgment-seat. 
You  come  before  that  man  :  he  knows  he  is  a  sinner,  and 
there  is  do  need  of  your  trying  to  persuade  him  any. 
thing  else.  You  may  please  his  ear  by  another  story 
for  a  little  while,  but  he  goes  away  despising  you.  That 
judgment  seat,  which  is  in  every  man's  heart,  is  what 
you  need  to  appeal  to ;  and  coming  before  an  audience 
in  that  feeling  and  in  that  appreciation,  you  will  make 
them  hear  and  make  them  feel.  It  is  not  a  question 
whether  they  like  what  you  say  or  not :  they  will  come 
again,  and  the  more  you  disturb  them  the  more  certainly 
will  they  come  again.  Do  not  be  afraid  of  such  holy 
recklessness,  or  of  driving  people  away  from  your  church. 
Where  one  man  goes  because  you  tell  the  whole  and  the 
flat-footed  truth,  the  will  be  five  men  that  will  want  his 
place. 

I  advise  you,  also  young  gentlemen,  in  your  effort  to 
address  the  masses,  to  study  tact  in  the  presentation  of 
Christian  truth. 

It  is  amazing  how  men  with  but  little  mental  faculty, 
and  little  mental  furniture,  may  accomplish  great  things 
for  God  just  by  studying  the  best  way  of  doing  the  thing, 
by  exercising  Christian  tact  and  strategy.  I  never  was 
more  impressed  with  that  than  by  the  conduct  of  Mr. 
Osborn,  an  American  evangelist.  Perhaps  none  of  you 
ever  saw  him.  He  was  an  old  man  when  I  was  a  mere 
boy.  He  came  to  my  father's  house,  and  I  was  the  only 
one  of  the  whole  family  that  was  not  a  Christian.  We 
sat  down  by  the  fireside  in  the  evening  in  the  country, 
and  Mr.  Osborn  said  to  my  father :  "  Are  all  your  chil- 
dren Christians  ?  "  Father  said ,  "  Yes,  all  but  DeWitt." 
32* 


378  PREACHING  TO  THE  MASSES. 

Well,  the  old  evangelist  sittiug  by  the  fire,  did  not  even 
turn  toward  me,  but  looking  into  the  fire,  he  began  to 
tell  a  story  about  a  lost  lamb  on  a  mountain,  and  it  was 
a  stormy  night,  very  much  like  this,  the  wind  blowing 
and  howdinor  around  the  house.  He  described  the  lost 
Iamb  out  on  the  mountain,  and  how  they  tried  to  find 
it ;  how  everything  was  warm  in  the  sheepfold,  and  at 
last  that  lamb  perished.  It  was  all  still  in  the  room. 
Every  body  knew  it  meant  me ;  I  knew  it  meant  me  ; 
but  he  did  not  say  it  meant  me,  and  still  kept  looking 
into  the  fire.  I  never  found  any  peace  till  I  became  a 
Christian.  That  is  what  I  call  Christian  strategy.  If 
he  had  turned  to  me  after  he  got  through  and  said  : 
"  DeWitt,  I  mean  you  !  "  I  should  have  been  as  mad  as 
fire. 

Let  us  be  cautious  when  we  come  to  speak  of  the  ter- 
rors of  the  law,  and  not  preach  as  though  we  were  glad 
to  preach  on  that  theme — not  preach  as  though  we  were 
glad  to  have  them  perish  if  they  kept  on  in  their  sins. 
Let  there  be  something  in  the  tone,  something  in  the 
manner,  which  will  represent  to  them  the  fact,  "  I  am  a 
sinner,  too  ;  if  God  by  his  infinite  grace,  had  not  changed 
my  heart,  I  should  have  been  under  the  same  condem- 
nation." 

Again  :  Use  great  naturalness  of  manner.  Do  not 
try  to  preach  like  any  one  else.  See  what  you  can  do 
the  easiest,  and  then  do  that.  By  that  I  do  not  mean  to 
inculcate  laziness,  or  to  put  a  premium  upon  any  kind 
of  indolence ;  but  it  is  generally  the  case  that  that 
which  you  can  do  easiest  at  the  start,  you  can  do  the 
best  and  most  successfully  all  the  way  tlirough.  In  re- 
gard to  preaching  without  notes — a  subject  which  every 


PREACHING  TO  THE  MASSES.  379 

man  discusses  in  this  day  who  has  any  idea  of  the  min- 
istry— while  it  may  best  for  the  majority  of  those  who 
enter  the  ministry  to  preach  without  notes,  I  think  there 
are  marked  cases  where  it  is  not  a  man's  duty  so  to  do. 
I  know  men  who  have  ruined  their  life-time  work  by 
perpetual  struggle  to  speak  without  notes.  Though  they 
had  large  intellect  and  warm  Christian  hearts,  they 
never  got  facility  in  the  extemporaneous  use  of  language. 

Let  every  man  judge  for  himself  the  best  way  of 
preaching ;  but  be  natural,  and  let  it  be  an  improved 
naturalness.  Why  is  it  when  men  come  to  talk  on  reli- 
gious themes  they  talk  in  a  different  tone  and  in  a 
different  way  from  that  in  which  they  talk  on  any  other 
subject  ?  I  think  we  could  reach  the  masses  a  good  deal 
better  if  we  had  the  naturalness  of  tone  which  we  have 
in  the  street  and  shop.  I  do  not  know  why  there  should 
be  any  such  thing  as  a  pulpit  tone.  It  not  only  goes 
into  the  pulpit,  but  it  goes  into  the  pew — this  disposition 
to  act  out  a  peculiar  manner  and  a  peculiar  tone  as 
fitted  for  religious  service.  You  will  find  a  man  who 
stands  on  Friday  afternoon  in  his  store  on  Broadway 
selling  a  bill  of  goods.  He  wants  so  sell  a  bill  of  sus- 
penders.  Now  he  talks  naturally  and  persuasively. 
He  says  to  the  purchaser  that  these  are  really  the  best 
suspenders  in  all  the  city,  and  the  customer  buys  them 
saying  :  "  What  a  delightful  merchant  this  is  !  Where  do 
you  attend  church  ?  "  "I  attend  such  and  such  a  church. 
We  have  a  prayer-meeting  to  night ;  won't  you  come 
around?"  The  customer  says:  "Yes."  Well,  Friday 
night  he  goes  into  the  prayer- meeting,  and  the  merchant 
who  that  afternoon  had  been  talking  ,'•0  cheerfully  about 
the  suspenders,  and  in  such  a  successful  way,  stands  up 


3S0  PREACHING  TO  THE  MASSES. 

in  the  prayer-meeting  to  recommend  the  religion  of 
Jesus  Christ ;  but  he  talks  in  such  a  funereal  tone,  and 
in  such  a  lugubrious  manner,  that  it  is  enough  to  make 
an  imdertaker  burst  into  tears.  Now,  why  not  have  the 
same  cheerfulness  of  tone  in  speaking  of  religion  as  in 
speaking  of  secular  matters  ?  The  religion  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  brightest  thing  that  ever  came  down  from 
Heaven.  It  is  compared  to  sunlight,  to  flowers,  and  to 
all  that  is  beautiful  and  glorious.  Why  should  we,  in 
our  manner  and  in  our  tones,  indicate  that  it  is  any- 
thing else  ?  We  should  certainly  be  as  natural  in  the 
pulpit  as  in  the  street  and  in  the  home. 

I  advise  you  also  to  go  forth  in  the  spirit  of  all  prayer. 
Certainly  you  believe,  we  oyight  to  believe,  in  the  power 
of  prayer. 

Make  every  service  decisive  for  eternity.  If  you  preach 
to  the  masses,  the  people  will  come  in  to  one  service  and 
they  will  never  come  back  again.  It  is  an  awful  thing  to 
stand  in  the  pulpit  and  feel,  "  Now  here  is  an  audience, 
some  of  whom  I  will  never  meet  until  the  thunders  of  the 
last  day  break  on  the  world ;  if  I  do  not  touch  them  to- 
night they  will  never  be  touched."  Just  as  certainly  as 
you  go  into  a  service  before  the  masses  and  resolve  that 
there  and  then  souls  shall  be  saved,  they  will  be  saved. 
There  will  be  no  experiment  about  it.  Now  just  single 
out  one  man.  I  think  it  is  a  grand  thing  to  single  out  a 
man  ^n  the  audience  and  preach  to  him.  My  custom  is  to 
single  out  a  man  on  the  last  seat  in  the  gallery — I  mean  in 
that  line,  or  standing  clear  out  by  the  door — for  the  reason 
that  I  have  noticed  I  can  make  all  the  people  hear  between 
that  point  and  this.  I  like  everybody  to  hear  in  the  church 
and  if  I  preach  to  the  last  man  in  the  gallery,  I  am  pretty 


PREACHING  TO  THE  MASSES.  381 

certain  they  will  all  hear  me.  I  take  a  man  far  back,  I  im- 
agine to  myself  that  that  man  has  never  been  in  the  church 
before,  or  has  not  been  in  a  church  for  twenty  years,  and 
perhaps  he  will  never  be  in  again  ;  he  may  come  from 
curiosity ;  this  is  my  last  chance ;  the  Lord  help  me ! 
Then  I  think  of  what  man's  soul  is  worth.  What  is  a 
soul  ?  Why,  it  is  enough  to  break  a  minister  down  in 
the  midst  of  his  sermon  to  think  of  what  a  soul  is.  A 
wheel  within  a  wheel,  wound  up  for  endless  revolutions  ; 
a  realm  in  which  love  shall  forever  lift  its  smile,  or  des- 
pair gnash  its  teeth,  or  pain  strike  its  poignard,  or  hope 
kindle  its  auroras :  a  soul  just  poised  on  the  pivot,  and 
if  it  swing  off  or  break  away  the  lightnings  of  heaven 
have  not  feet  swift  enough  to  catch  up  with  it.  No  won- 
der that  many  a  man  in  his  last  moment  has  awakened 
to  think  he  had  a  soul  and  was  not  prepared  to  go,  and 
in  the  excitement  of  the  moment  ran  his  fingers  through 
his  hair,  and  then,  though  a  minute  before  he  lay  help- 
less on  the  bed  from  disease,  not  able  to  turn  his  head, 
in  the  anguish  of  the  moment  rose  up  and  shook  off  the 
three  waichers  and  looked  out  into  the  darkness  and 
cried,  "  0  my  soul,  my  soul,  my  SOUL  !  "  Now  to  have 
fifty  such  souls  or  twenty  such  souls  in  the  audience,  and 
to  feel  that  this  is  the  only  chance  at  those  souls  :  it  is 
awful.  It  seems  to  me  it  is  like  empaneling  a  jury  for 
a  trial.  The  verdict  is  to  be  rendered,  the  Judge  of 
quick  and  dead  has  given  the  charge,  the  minister  has 
now  come  to  the  close  of  his  sermon,  and  they  are  to 
render  the  verdict,  not  about  somebody  else,  but  about 
themselves.     What  an  overwhelming  consideration  ! 

I  wish  you  great  joy,  young  men.     Great  fields  are 
opening  for  you.     Be  praying  men  ;  be  holy  men.     Re- 


882  PREACHING  TO  THE  MASSES. 

member  tliat  you  can  never  'lift  your  people  higher  up 
than  the  place  on  which  you  stand.  Consecrate  yourself, 
body,  mind,  and  soul,  to  God.  Have  high  anticipations 
in  the  ministry.  There  are  great  solemnities,  great 
trials,  and  great  hardships  ;  but  where  there  is  one  hard- 
ship there  are  five  hundred  compensations  in  the  inward 
consciousness  of  doing  the  Lord's  service.  I  know  a  great 
many  things  are  written  in  books  this  day  about  the 
hardships  and  the  trials  of  the  ministry,  and  they  are  all 
true.  O  for  somebody  to  write  a  good,  vivacious,  enthu- 
siastic. Christian  book  about  the  joys  of  the  Christian 
ministry !  I  "have  not  wanted  to  make  anything  I  say 
to-nigbt  personal ;  I  have  not  wanted  to  say  anything 
about  myself;  but  I  will  tell  you  before  I  quit,  the 
ministry  to  me  is  one  long  exhilaration.  I  believe  I 
should  have  been  dead  if  I  had  been  engaged  in  anything 
else  than  in  preaching  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God. 
It  is  healthy  ;  it  is  good  for  tlie  body,  it  is  good  for  the 
mind,  and  it  is  good  for  the  soul. 

Note. — The  above  is  regarded  as  a  very  superior  specimen  of  spicy 
illustrative  writing. — Compiler. 


CHAPTER  LT, 

ELF,MENTS  OF  SUCCESS  IN  THE  SERVICES  OF  MESSRS. 

MOODY  AND  SANKEY. 

Rey.  R.  W.  Dale. 

Of  Mr.  Moody's  own  power  I  find  it  difficult  to  speak. 
It  is  so  real,  and  yet  so  unlike  the  power  of  ordinary 
preachers,  that  I  hardly  know  how  to  analyze  it.  Its 
reality  is  indisputable.  Any  man  who  can  interest 
and  impress  an  audience  varying  from  l^hree  thousand 
to  six  thousand  people  for  half  an  hour  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  for  three-quarters  of  an  hour  in  the  afternoon, 
and  who  can  interest  a  third  audience  of  thirteen  or 
fifteen  thousand  people  for  three-quarters  of  an  hour 
again  in  the  evening,  must  have  power  of  some  kind. 
Of  course,  some  people  listened  without  caring  much 
for  what  he  said ;  but  though  I  generally  sat  in  a  po- 
sition which  enabled  me  to  see  the  kind  of  impression 
he  produced,  I  rarely  saw  many  faces  which  did  not 
indicate  the  most  active  and  earnest  interest.  The 
people  where  of  all  sorts,  old  and  young,  rich  and  poor, 
keen  tradesmen,  manufacturers  and  merchants,  and 
young  ladies  who  had  just  left  school,  rough  boys  who 
knew  more  about  dogs  and  pigeons  than  about  books, 
and  cultivated  women.     For  a  time  I  could  not  un- 


384   ELEMENTS  OF  SUCCESS  IN  THE  SERVICES  OF  MOODY. 

derstand  it — I  am  not  sure  that  I  understand  it  now. 
At  the  first  meeting,  Mr.  Moody's  address  was  simple, 
direct,  kindly,  and  hopeful ;  it  had  a  touch  of  humor 
and  a  touch  of  pathos  j  it  was  lit  up  with  a  story  or 
two  that  filled  most  eyes  with  tears  ;  but  there  seem- 
ed nothing  in  it  very  remarkable.  Yet  it  told.  A 
prayer-meeting  with  an  address,  at  eight  o'clock  on  a 
damp,  cold  January  morning,  was  hardly  the  kind  of 
thing — let  me  say  it  frankly — that  I  should  generally 
regard  as  attractive  ;  but  1  enjoyed  it  heartily  ;  it 
seemed  one  of  the  happiest  meetings  I  had  ever  at- 
tended; there  was  warmth  and  there  was  sunlight  in 
it.  At  the  evening  meeting  the  same  day,  at  Bingley 
Hall,  I  was  still  unable  to  make  it  out  how  it  was  that 
he  had  done  so  much  in  other  parts  of  the  kingdom. 
I  listened  with  interest;  everybody  listened  with  in- 
terest ;  and  I  was  conscious  again  of  a  certain  warmth 
and  brightness  which  made  the  service  very  pleasant, 
but  I  could  not  see  that  there  was  much  to  impress 
those  that  were  careless  about  religious  duty.  The 
next  morning  at  the  prayer-meeting  the  address  was 
more  incisive  and  striking,  and  at  the  evening  service 
I  began  to  see  that  the  stranger  had  a  faculty  for  mak- 
ing the  elementary  truths  of  the  Gospel  intensely 
clear  and  vivid.  But  it  still  seemed  most  remarkable 
that  he  should  have  done  so  much,  and  on  Tuesday 
I  told  Mr  Moody  that  the  work  was  most  plainly  of 
God,  for  I  could  see  no  real  relation  between  him  and 
what  he  had  done.  He  laughed  cheerily,  and  said  he 
sho^ild  be  very  sorry  if  it  were  otherwise.  I  began 
to  wonder  whether  what  I  had  supposed  to  be  a  law 
of  the   Divine  kingdom  was  perfectly   uniform.     I 


ELEMENTS  OF  SUCCESS  IN  THE  SERVICES  OF  MOODY.  385 

thought  thai  there  were  scores  ot  us  who  could  preach 
as  effectively  as  Mr.  Moody,  and  who  might  therefore, 
with  God's  good  help,  be  equally  successful. 

In  the  course  of  a  day  or  two  my  mistake  was  cor- 
rected :  but  to  the  last  there  were  sensible  people  who 
listened  to  him  with  a  kind  of  interest  and  delight 
with  which  they  never  listen  to  very  '^  distinguished" 
and  eloquent  preachers,  and  who  yet  thought  that 
though  Mr.  Moody  was  '^  very  simple  and  earnest," 
he  had  no  particular  power  as  a  speaker.  I  do  not 
intend  to  suggest  any  comparison  between  Mr.  Moody 
and  our  great  English  orator,  but  I  have  met  people 
who  have  talked  in  the  same  way  about  Mr.  Bright 
and  who  seem  to  think  that  to  speak  like  Mr.  Bright 
was  possible  to  nearly  everybody. 

One  of  the  elements  of  Mr.  Moody's  power  consists 
in  his  perfect  naturalness.  He  has  something  to  say, 
and  he  says  it — says  it  as  simply  and  directly  to  thir- 
teen thousand  people  as  to  thirteen.  He  has  nothing 
of  the  impudence  into  which  some  speakers  are  be- 
trayed when  they  try  to  be  easy  and  unconventional; 
but  ho  talks  in  a  perfectly  unconstrained  and  straight- 
forward way,  just  as  he  would  talk  to  half-a-dozen  old 
friends  at  his  fireside.  The  effect  of  this  is  very  in- 
telligible You  no  more  think  of  criticising  him  than 
you  think  of  critising  a  man  that  you  meet  in  the 
street,  and  who  tells  you  the  shortest  way  to  a  railway 
station.  I  can  criticise  most  preachers  and  speakers  ; 
T  criticised  Dr.  Guthrie,  though  I  was  either  laughing 
or  crying  the  greater  part  of  the  time  that  I  was  list- 
ening to  him  ;  but  so-mehow  I  did  not  think  of  criti- 
cising Mr.  Moody  until  I  had  got  home.  Generally 
33 


3.86   ELEMENTS  OF  SUCCESS  IN  THE  SEE  VICES  OF  MOODY. 

there  seemed  nothing  to  criticise  ;  once  or  twice  in 
the  simplist  and  most  inartistic  manner,  he  said  things 
which  at  the  moment  he  said  them  I  felt  were  of  the 
kind  to  give  a  popular  speaker  a  great  triumph,  but 
his  whole  manner  threw  me  out  of  the  critical  atti- 
tude. Some  men  force  you  to  be  critical.  It  is  im- 
p  )ssible  to  take  a  single  coin  from  them  without  ring- 
ing  it  on  the  table  and  looking  to  see  whether  it  is 
properly  '^  milled."  From  first  to  last,  thej^  provoke 
"  watchful  jealousy."  It  is  clear  that  they  are  taking 
a  great  deal  of  trouble  with  their  sentences  ;  it  is  dis- 
respectful not  to  examine  their  work.  It  is  clear,  too, 
that  they  are  giving  you  their  best  thoughts,  their 
best  arguments,  and  their  best  illustrations,  and  they 
show  them  to  you  just  as  a  collector  of  gems  shows  you 
his  last  triumphant  acquisition.  It  is  impossible — it 
is  almost  insulting — not  to  criticise.  When  a  speech 
or  sermon  is  plainly  a  work  of  art,  criticism  is  inevi- 
table. It  is  not  necessary  for  any-one  to  paint  pic- 
tures, to  sing  songs,  or  ta  deliver  artistic  addresses  ; 
but  if  a  man  insists  on  being  an  artist,  and  lets  you 
know  it,  he  forces  upon  you  a  critical  examination  of 
his  performance. 

Mr.  Moody — so  it  seems  to  me — has  an  ^'  art"  of  a 
very  effective  kind  ;  but  he  is  infinitely  more  than  an 
artist,  and  therefore  most  people  listen  without  criti- 
cising. This  is  an  immense  element  of  power.  If 
our  congregations  came  to  hear  us  preach,  instead  of 
coming  to  hear  how  we  preach,  the  effects  of  our  ser- 
mons would  be  immeasurably  great.  Now  and  then 
Mr.  Moody  quoted  a  text  in  a  very  illegitimate  sense  ; 
Now  and  then  he  advanced  an  argument  which  would 


ELEMENTS  OF  SUCCESS  IN  THE  SERVICES  OF  MOODY.  387 

not  hold  water;  now  and  then  he  laid  down  princi- 
ples which  seemed  untenable  ;  and  there  was  a  mo 
mentary  protest  on  the  part  of  the  critical  faculty ; 
but  the  protest  was  only  momentarily.  I  was  not 
thrown  out  of  sympathy  with  him. 

It  is  objected  that  he  is  too  ''  familiar"  with  sacred 
things.  Generally — not  always — the  objection  comes 
from  persons  who  are  extremely  unfamiliar  with 
them.  The  fault  that  is  charged  against  him — if  it  be 
a  fault — is  perhaps  not  too  common  in  these  days. 
There  are  not  too  many  people  who  live,  and  move, 
and  have  their  being  in  the  fair  provinces  of  Chris- 
tian truth,  and  Christian  hope,  and  Christian  joy. 
Mr.  Moody  is,  no  doubt,  very  "  familiar"  with  things 
about  which  he  talks.  He  is  like  a  man  who  keeps 
Sunday  every  day  in  the  week;  his  mind  does  not 
put  on  Sunday  clothes  when  he  begins  to  speak  about 
religion.  Religious  truth  is  the  subject  of  his  con- 
stant thought ;  he  does  not  therefore  assume  the 
"  Bible  tone"  when  he  begins  to  pray  or  preach.  He 
does  not  tell  stories  because  they  are  amusing  ;  but 
if  an  amusing  story  helps  him  to  make  a  truth  clearer, 
or  to  expose  a  common  mistake,  he  does  not  refase  to 
tell  it  merely  because  it  is  amusing.  The  common 
things  of  common  life  are  about  him  all  the  time  he 
is  speaking.  He  uses  the  words  of  the  home  and  the 
street:  the  plainer  they  are  the  better  he  likes  them. 
The  gowns  and  bands  which  some  of  our  preachers 
wear  are  the  symbols  of  the  special  costume  in  which 
they  think  it  proper  to  array  religious  truth.  Mr. 
Moody  does  without  gown  or  bands,  and  speaks  to 
men  as  he  would  speak  to  them  at  a  meeting  of  the 


388   ELEMENTS  OF  SUCCESS  IN  THE  SERVICES  OF  MOODY. 

"  United  Kingdom  Alliance,"  or  at  a  political  meeting 
during  a  contested  election.  He  has  given  himself  to 
God,  all  that  he  has,  all  that  he  is,  and  he  uses  every 
faculty  and  resource  of  his  nature  to  prevail  upon 
men  to  hate  sin  and  to  trust  and  love  Christ.  To 
him  nothing  is  common  or  unclean.  He  has  humor, 
and  he  uses  it ;  he  has  passion, and  he  uses  it;  he  can 
tell  racy  anecdotes,  and  he  tells  them  ;  he  can  make 
people  cry  as  well  as  laugh,  and  he  does  it. 

Reverence  is  due  to  God  alone,  and  to  Him  in  whom 
God  is  manifest  in  the  flesh ;  of  God,  of  our  Lord  Je- 
sus Christ,  there  was  never  a  word  which  was  not  in- 
spired by  fervent  love,  perfect  trust,  and  devout  wor- 
ship. Of  great  saints,  good  men  will  speak  with  af- 
fection and  respect;  and  it  was  thus  that  Mr.  Moody 
spoke  of  them. 

There  was  something  in  his  way  of  telling  Scrip- 
ture narratives  from  which  preachers  may  learn  very 
much.  The  Oriental  drapery  was  stripped  off,  and 
he  told  the  stories  as  though  they  had  happened  in 
Chicago  just  before  he  had  left  home,  or  in  Birming- 
ham an  hour  or  two  before  the  service  began.  At 
times  this  gave  the  stories  a  certain  air  of  grotesque- 
ness,  but  it  made  the  moral  element  in  them  intensely 
real.  We  are  in  the  habit  of  making  a  double  de- 
mand on  our  hearers  ;  we  ask  them,  first,  to  repro- 
duce, by  a  strong  effort  of  imagination,  the  Oriental 
circumstances  of  the  narratives  and  we  then  ask  them 
to  apprehend  the  human  passions  and  follies  and  vir- 
tues which  the  narratives  illustrate.  I  believe  that 
they  get  so  interested  in  the  mere  drapery  that  the 
substantial  facts  are  often  missed  ;  or  else  the  endur- 


ELEMENTS  OF  SUCCESS  IN  THE  SERVICES  OF  MOODY.  389 

ing  human  element  looks  so  strange  in  its  unfamiliar 
costume  that  it?  power  is  lost. 

Of  the  aspect  of  the  truth  on  which  he  dwells  it  is 
not  necessary  to  say  much.     His  groat  topic  is  the  in- 
finite love  and  power  of  Christ.     That  Christ  wants 
to  save  men,  and  can  do  it,  is  the  substance  of  nearly 
all   his   discourses.     I  asked  him,  after   one  of  the 
morning  services,  whether  he  never  used  the  element 
of  terror   in   his    preaching  ?     He  said  that  he   did 
sometimes,  but  that  "  a  man's  heart  ought  to  be  very 
tender"  when  speaking  about  the  doom  of  the  impeni- 
tent ;    that   the    manner   in   which    some    preachers 
threatened   unbelievers    with    the  wrath  to  come,  as 
though  they  had  a  kind  of  satisfaction  of  thinking  of 
the  sufferings  of  the  lost,  was  to  him  very  shocking. 
He  added  that  in  the  course  of  his  visit  to  a  town  he 
generally  preached  one  sermon  on  hell  and  one  on 
heaven.     That  night  he  preached  on  the  text,  "  Son 
remember  !"     I  greatly  regret  that  I  happened  to  be 
absent ;  I  should  like  to  have  heard  how  he  dealt  with 
this  difficult  subject.     As  the  readers  of  the  Congre- 
gationalist  know,  I  believe  that  in  modern  preaching 
there  is  too  little  said  about  the  awful  words  of  our 
Lord  concerning  the  destiny  of  those  who  resist  His 
authority  and   reject  his  salvation.     The   unwilling- 
ness of  most  of  us  to   speak  of  this   terrible   subject 
ought    to    suggest    very    earnest     self-examination. 
Christ's  love  for  men,  which  was  infinitely  more  ten- 
der than  ours,  did  not  prevent  Him  from  speaking  of 
"  the  worm  that   dieth  not,  and    the  fire   that  is  not 
quenched,"  and  it  is  curely  presumptuous  of  us  to  as- 
sume that  we  are  prevented  from  speaking  of  future 
33* 


390   ELEMENTS  OF  SUCCESS  IN  THE  SERVICES  OF  MOODY. 

punishment  by  the  depth  of  our  sympathy  with  the 
Divine  mercy. 

The  possibility  of  ""instantaneous  conversions^  was 
one  of  the  points  on  which  he  insisted  incessantly 
I  think  I  should  prefer  to  speak  of  the  ccMainty  of 
Chris fs  immediate  response  to  a  frank  trust  in  His 
love  and  frank  submission  to  his  authority.  These 
however,  are  only  two  ways  of  presenting  the  same 
truth  ;  and  the  vigor  and  earnestness  with  which  he 
charged  his  hearers  to  obtain  at  once  the  pardon  of 
sin  and  power  to  break  away  from  a  sinful  life,  were 
extremely  effective. 

Some  of  the  most  remarkable  results  of  the  visit  of 
our  American  friends  are  to  be  found,  perhaps,  among 
those  who  have  been  long  members  of  Christian 
Churches.  I  hardly  know  how  to  <ie.scri6e  the  change 
which  has  passed  over  them.  It  is  like  the  change, 
which  comes  upon  a  landscape  when  clouds  which 
have  been  hanging  over  it  for  hours  suddenly  vanish, 
and  the  sunlight  seems  to  fill  both  heaven  and  earth. 
There  is  a  joyousness,  and  an  elasticity  of  spirit, 
and  a  hopefulness,  which  have  completely  transformed 
them  ;  and  the  transformation  shows  itself  in  the  un- 
ostentatious eagerness  with  which  they  are  taking 
up  Christian  work. 

If  I  thought  it  worth  while,  I  could  speak  of  some 
things  in  this  work  which  are  not  to  my  taste,  and 
some  things  which  my  judgment  disapproves.  But 
before  Mr.  Moody  and  Mr.  Sankey  came  to  Birming- 
ham I  had  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  what  was. 
said  of  the  e^rly  evangelists  at  Antioch,  was  the  tri^-. 
e^t  account  of  tho  'worl^  of  tjiese   American  eva,nger 


ELEMENTS  OP  SUCCESS  IN  THE  SEEVICES  OF  MOODY.  391 

lists  in  Scotland  and  Ireland.  ''The  hand  of  the  Lord 
was  with  them  :  and  a  greater  number  believed  and 
turned  unto  the  Lord."  This  conviction  has  been 
deepened  and  confirmed  by  all  that  I  have  seen  of 
them. 

Those  men  especially  who  are  in  the  habit  of  in- 
sisting on  "breadth"  of  sympathy  with  all  in  -whom 
there  is  genuine  Christian  earnestness,  and  who  are 
always  saying  that  rigid  accuracy  in  doctrinal  defini- 
tions is  of  inferior  importance  to  .a  living  faith  in 
Christ,  ought  to  be  able  to  rise  above  the  kind  of  ob- 
jections which  seem  likely  to  alienate  some  of  them 
from'  this  work. 

It  is  possible  that  in  some  places  our  American  visi- 
tors may  not  achieve  the  kind  of  success  which  has 
hitherto  followed  them.  Before  they  came  to  Bir- 
mingham I  felt  very  doubtful  whether  the}''  would  ac- 
complish here  what  they  had  accomplished  in  Dublin 
and  Belfast.  I  believe  they  will  accomplish  very 
little  in  any  place  ivhere  they  are  not  sustained  hy 
the  hearty  sympathy  of  Christian  2^6oplej  and  where 
Christian  Churches  do  not  earnestly  entreat  Cod  to 
manifest  in  connection  with  their  work  the  transcen- 
dent greatness  of  His  power  and  love.  There  were 
people  among  whom  our  Lord  Himself  "could  do  no 
mighty  works,  because  of  their  unbelief." 


CHAPTER    LVI. 

WHAT   MR.    MOODY    CAN    DO    FOR    US. 

By  Key.  J.  E.  Rankin,  D.  D. 

We  cannot  all  have  Mr.  Moody,  now  that  God  has  so 
distino'uished  him  as  a  winner  of  souls.  But  we  can  all 
be  taught  by  him.  He  can  teach  us,  in  the  first  place, 
how  to  use  the  English  Bible.  The  best  commentary  on 
the  Bible,  is  the  Bible.  The  use  of  the  Bible  as  our 
only  authority ;  that  use  of  it  too,  which  makes  history 
and  narrative  illustrate  and  enforce  doctrine  which  em- 
bodies  truth  in  living  instances,  4s  the  wisest  and  most 
forcible.  Mr.  Moody  is  a  man  of  one  book ;  and  that 
book  the  mightiest  intellectual,  moral  and  spiritual 
force  in  the  whole  universe  ;  that  book  the  sword  of  the 
living  God  !  It  is  said  that  he  has  no  time  to  read  any. 
thing  else.  If  so,  he  escapes  the  dissipating  and  corrupt 
influence  of  books  and  papers  which  are  inspired  by  the 
spirit  of  this  world's  life,  and  he  lives  in  the  atmosphere 
of  thino^s  not  seen  and  eternal ;  he  is  the  constant  com- 
panion  of  prophets  and  apostles,  who  spoke  as  they  were 
moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  he  walks  with  God,  and  God 
talks  with  him  face  to  face. 

Mr.  Moody  teaches  us,  too,  what  is  the  layman's  oppor- 
etunity.     It  is  not  to  mount  the  rostrum  ;  it  is  to  guid 


WHAT  MR.   MOODY  CAN  DO  FOE  US.  303 

inquirers.     Mr.   Moody  evidently  prefers  the   inquiry- 
meet  iog  as  his  place  of  work. 

And  what  does  he  find  7)iost  lacking  I  Competent 
men  and  women  to  guide  inquirers.  Here,  then,  is  the 
layman's  opportunity.  Let  men  and  women  learn  the 
art  of  personally  winning  souls.  Let  the  Sabbath. school 
teachers^  who  have  so  long  sat  face  to  face  with  their 
classes,  and  expected  God  some  time  to  save  them,  now 
gird  themselves  for  the  work  of  bringing  them  at  once 
into  the  fold  of  Christ. 

Revivals,  so  called,  of  late  years  scarcely  reach  one- 
tenth  of  the  church  members.  There  is  no  general 
repentance,  no  general  turning  to  God.  There  is  no 
general  renewal  of  effort  to  save  men.  The  minister, 
and  a  few  of  the  more  spiritual  members  of  the  church, 
devote  themselves  to  revival  work.  The  bulk  of  the 
church  attend  as  many  j^laces  of  fashionable  dissipation 
as  ever  ;  live  just  as  ever. 

Now,  let  any  minister  and  his  church  agree  to  give 
themselves  for  the  next  three  months,  for  instance,  to  the 
work  of  convincing  men  of  their  sins,  and  turning  them 
to  God ;  let  the  preaching  and  the  teaching  be  aimed  at 
this,  and  all  has  been  gained  without  Mr.  Moody,  which 
Mr.  Moody  can  bring.  Mr  Moody  aims  to  compel  Chris- 
tians to  give  up  the  world  long  enough  to  humble  them- 
selves  before  God,  and  to  eng^a^e  in  active  efforts  for  the 
salvation  of  men. 

Another  thino-  which  Mr.  Moodv  teaches  us,  is  the  wis- 
dom  oi  frequently  drawing  the  net.  Probably,  no  Lord's 
Day  goes  by,  whether  in  the  sanctuary  or  the  Sabbath 
school,  when  some  souls  are  not  set  to  unusual  thinking. 
The  prevalent  custom  is,  to  let  the  net  remain  in  the 


394  WHAT  ME.   MOODY   CAN  DO  FOR  US. 

deep  water,  where  the  fish  can  escape,  instead  of  pulling 
it  always  to  the  shore.  Our  closing  exercises  on  the 
Lord's  Day,  the  artificial  and  set  arrangement  of  every- 
thing, and  especially  the  organ  voluntary,  with  which 
and  by  which  we  are  encouraged  to  forget  all  that  has 
been  said  and  d?ne  in  God's  house,  seem  well  adapted  to 
render  this  the  only  arrangement  possible.  Could  the 
congregation  be  tenderly  and  seriously  dismissed  ;  and 
there  be  an  enquiry. meeting,  to  which  warm. hearted 
Christians  and  all  thoughtful  persons  among  the  impeni- 
tent are  especially  invited,  at  the  close  of  each  service, 
or,  at  any  rate,  at  the  close  of  the  final  service  on  the 
Lord's  Day,  the  result  might  be  very  difierent. 

In  a  word,  then,  Mr.  Moody  teaches  us  that  he  relies 
upon  the  Holy  Spirit  within  himself  and  his  co-workers 
— the  Bible  in  their  hands,  and  common  sense  in  their 
method.^ — to  save  the  souls  of  men.  The  first  God  will 
give  us  if  we  ask  Him  ;  the  second  we  have,  if  we  will 
only  learn  to  use  it ;  and  the  third  is  only  the  wisdom 
of  this  world,  applied  to  things  spiritual  and  eternal. 


CHAPTER  LYIl. 
MR.    MOODY'S    OPENING   SERMON. 

THE   GREAT   HINDRANCES  TO   REVIVAL. 

"Let  us  go  up  at  once  and  possess  it,  for  we  are 
well  able  to  overcome  it.     Numb,  xiii :  30. 

Let  us  get  the  surroundings  of  this  text.  You  will 
remember  that  Moses  was  commanded  to  send  men 
into  the  promised  land  to  see  how  the  land  looked. 
I  suppose  they  wanted  to  find  out  if  God's  Avord  was 
true,  and  they  said  :  "We  will  pick  twelve  men.  We 
will  send  them  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land, 
and  we  will  get  their  report  before  we  go  over." 
All  of  the  twelve  admitted  it  was  a  land  flowing  with 
milk  and  honey,  but  these  other  ten — the  unbelievers 
— said,  "Oh,  the  people  are  strong  that  dwell  in  the 
land,  and  the  cities  are  walled  and  very  great,  and  we 
saw  giants  there  and  the  sons  of  Anak.  We  are  not 
able  to  possess  the  land."  I  can  imagine  one  of  these 
ten  men  when  he  stood  close  to  a  tall  giant  and  had 
had  to  look  up  into  his  face,  seemed  to  himself,  as 
the  history  states,  Jike  unto  a  grasshopper.  When 
•QUbelief  comes  in  we  are  like   grasshoppers  in  the 


396  MR.   MOODY'S   OPENING   SERMON. 

world's  eyes,  and  when  faith  is  with  113  these   giants 
are  like  grasshoppers  in  our  eyes. 

Thank  God,  there  were  two  men  that  had  faith. 
Caleb  said,  "Just  lot  me  speak  a  few  words.  I  have 
been  through  the  land.  lam  one  of  the  spies  that 
went  out,  and  I  tell  you  we  are  well  able  to  go  up 
and  possess  the  land.  We  can  take  it  at  once.  Let 
us  go  up  at  once  and  possess  the  land.  There  is  no 
power  that  can  hinder  us  if  God  is  with  us."  If  the 
people  had  only  followed  Caleb's  advice  they  might 
have  saved  their  forty  years  in  the  wilderness. 

Bring  it  down  to  the  present  day.  Four-fifths  of 
the  professed  children  of  God  are  saying,  "We  are 
not  able  to  go  up  and  possess  the  land."  I  don't 
know  how  many  people  I  have  heard  say  tome  since 
I  came  back,  "Now,  Mr.  Moody,  you  must  not  expect 
so  great  a  work  in  this  country  as  in  the  old."  I  tell 
you  if  we  dont  expect  it  we  won't  have  it.  If  we  will 
cross  at  Kadesh-barnea,  and  just  go  right  over,  we  can 
take  the  land  at  once.  There  isn't  anything  to  hin- 
der. If  God  delight  in  us,  are  we  not  able  to  go  up 
and  possess  it?  How  easy  it  would  be  for  God  to 
pour  us  out  such  a  blessing  that  there  would  not  be 
room  enough  to  recieve  it ;  how  easy  for  him  to  turn 
away  these  dark  waves  of  hell  that  come  dashing 
against  ns.  The  difference  between  Caleb  and 
Josha  and  these  ten  men  was  this  :  The  ten  had  their 
eyes  on  the  great  walls  of  those  cities  and  the  giants 
and  the  sons  of  Anak,  but  Caleb  and  Joshua  lifted 
their  eyes  above  that  wall  and  saw  Him  who  sitteth 
upon  the  throne  of  God,  and  I  can  imagine  Caleb  and 
Joshua,  when  they  came  back,  saying,  ''It  will  be  very 


MR.   MOODY'S  OPENING  SERMOInT.  397 

easy  for  God  to  give  us  that  country.  He  brought  us 
through  the  Red  Sea  wheu  we  wanted  to  go  through 
the  wilderness.  He  opened  his  hand  and  gave  us  food  ; 
when  we  wanted  water  he  spoke  to  the  rock  and  it 
came  bubbling  out."  "If  God  delight  in  us,"  says 
Joshua,  "we  are  well  able  to  go  up  and  take  the  land. 
These  giants  are  like  grasshoppers  in  our  sight." 

That  is  the  difference  between  the  man  of  faith  and 
the  man  of  unbelief ;  and  the  greatest  obstacle  to  a 
pure  revival  in  this  country  is  the  wretched  unbelief 
in  the  Church  of  God.  Our  God  is  able,  and  what 
we  want  is  to  move  forward,  trusting  in  God  and  be- 
lieving that  he  is  able  to  give  great  and  exceedingly 
abundant  blessings  above  what  we  may  ask  or  think. 

My  friends,  if  we  are  going  to  have  our  churches 
filled  with  fear  and  unbelief,  and  don't  expect  a  bless- 
ing, we  will  not  see  one.  What  we  want  is  men  like 
Caleb  and  Joshua,  who  have  got  faith  in  a  living 
God,  who  are  able  to  go  over  and  possess  the  land ; 
not  looking  at  the  wall  or  the  giants,  but  to  Him 
who  is  mighty  to  save — no  other.  If  we  are  going 
to  have  a  work  in  this  country  we  must  have  this  les- 
son, and  the  quicker  the  better — that  is,  let  God  work 
in  his  own  way.  This  idea  of  marking  a  channel  for 
God  to  work  in,  the  idea  of  making  plans  for  him,  is 
preposterous.  When  the  Holy  Ghost  comes  he  will 
mark  out  a  way  for  himself.  When  he  comes  he  will 
make  his  own  channel,  and  God,  we  must  bear  in 
mind,  is  the  Sovereign,  and  he  will  use  whom  he  will. 
And  we  want  to  say,  "Lord,  use  me.  If  thou  canst 
not,  lay  me  aside  and  use  some  one  else,  only  let 
the  work  be  done."  We  have  got  to  do  away  with 
34 


398  MR.  MOODY'S  OPENING  SERMON. 

all  bickering  and  jealousy,  and  to  stand  in  our  place 
and  say,  "Lord,  here  I  am.  Let  me  take  a  part  or  let 
me  have  no  position  at  all,  onlylet  God  be  glorified." 
Sometimes  the  Lord  comes  to  us  in  a  way  we  are 
unprepared  for.  Sometimes  we  look  for  him  in  the 
east  and  he  comes  right  from  the  west.  He  takes, 
too,  the  weak  and  the  foolish  things  to  confound  the 
mighty,  that  no  flesh  may  glory  in  his  sight.  So  if 
God  is  going  to  take  Jericho  he  will  do  it  how  and 
when  he  pleases.  And  we  must  have  faith  to  believe 
God  can  use  us.  I  heard  something  in  Scotland  that 
did  me  good.  A  man  said  in  one  of  our  conventions 
that  there  was  not  a  man  in  the  whole  camp  of  Israel 
but  that  knew  God  could  use  any  one  of  them  to  slay 
Goliath.  They  believed  God  could  do  it,  but  there 
was  only  one  man  that  believed  God  would  do  it, 
and  so  he  took  him.  We  know  he  can  do  this  work. 
All  admit  that,  but  let  us  believe  that  we  are  the  men 
he  will  use. 

If  tve  are  going  to  have  a  revival  worh  in  this  coun. 
try  it  has  got  to  he  an  individual  effort :  this  man  trying 
to  urge  his  neighbor  to  come  to  Christ;  this  woman 
trying  to  urge  her  neighbor,  her  companion,  her  asso- 
ciate ;  this  young  man  bringing  his  companion  to 
Christ.  We  have  got  to  give  up  much;  we  must  give 
up  the  world  ;  we  must  give  up  our  bazaars  and  festi- 
vals and  these  church  amusements,  and  "  come  up  to 
the  help  of  the  Lord  against  the  mighty."  This  is 
what  we  must  do.  "  Press  toward  the  prize  of  the 
high  calling."  If  I  had  the  trumpet  of  God  I  should 
like  to  ask  the  American  people,  "  Shall  we  go  on  and 
take  the  land  ?  "     The  seven  hundred  thousand  Sun. 


MR.  Moody's  opening  sermon.  399 

day-school  teachers  in  this  land  can  each  bring  a  child 
to  God.  Christ  died  for  us,  and  should  we  not 
be  willing  to  do  this?  Shall  we  not  try  to  bring  our 
neighbors  to  Christ?  I  should  like  to  speak  to  the 
hundred  thousand  men  in  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Associations  and  ask  them  if  we  shall  go  on  and  take 
the  land  ?  Shall  we  rise  up  and  cross  at  Kadesh- 
barnea  and  take  the  land  in  the  name  of  God. 


REVIVAL  HYMN. 
By  Rey.  S.  D.  Phelps,  D.  D. 

Come,  O  Spirit  !  make  this  hour 
V^^itness  thy  reviving  power  ; 
Touch  our  hearts  with  sacred  fire, 
Faith  and  prayer  and  zeal  inspire. 

Some  have  left  their  early  love, 
Some  have  gi'ieved  thee,  holy  Dove, 
Proved  unfaithful,  worldly,  cold, 
Straying  from  the  Master's  fold. 

Call  them  back,  for  thou  canst  reach 
Farthest  ones  with  thy  sweet  speech  ; 
Broken-hearted  they  shall  come, 
Find  a  joyful  welcome  home. 

Many  near  us  long  have  been 
In  the  deadly  sleep  of  sin. 
Till  their  hearts  refuse  to  move 
When  they  hear  of  Jesus'  love. 

Show  their  guilt-imperiled  state, 
Hopes  delusive  dissipate,    . 
Flash  the  truth  upon  their  sight, 
Bid  them  wake  to  life  and  light. 

Oh,  we  long  thy  work  to  see, 
Precious  souls  renewed  by  thee  ; 
Let  salvation  now  appear 
Out  of  Zion,  glorious  here. 


CHAPTER  LVIIL 

HOW    TO    INSTRUCT    INQUIHERS. 

[AUTHORIZED  EXTRACTS— AUTOBIOGRAPHY.  ] 

By  Elder  Jacob  Knapp. 

On  this  subject  the  Bible  is  our  guide,  Peter  said 
to  those  who  asked  "What  must  we  do?"  "Repent 
and  be  baptized,"  When  the  jailer  asked  a  similar 
question,  Paul  answered,  "Believe  on  the  liord  Jesus 
Christ."  Jesus  said,  "Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  are 
weary  and  are  heavy-laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest." 
These  directions  are  substantially  alike.  No  man  re- 
pents without  believing.  No  man  believes  in  Christ 
without  repenting,  and  no  man  comes  to  Christ  with- 
out doing  both  ;  and  baptism  is  the  symbol  and  pro- 
fession of  this  moral  experience. 

The  apo.stles  called  upon  men  to  make  an  immedi- 
ate surrender  of  their  hearts  to  God.  They  required 
the  exercise  of  repentance  and  faith  on  the  spot. 
They  made  no  provision  for  delays,  and  clearly  im- 
plied that  this  very  hesitancy  was  a  resistance  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  an  act  of  hostiUty  to  God.  Any  other 
instruction  seems  like  tolerating  impenitence,  unbe- 
lief, and  a  rejection  of  Christ. 
34* 


402  HOW  TO  INSTRUCT   INQUIRERS. 

There  are  Dumerous  influences  which  operate  on 
inquirers  to  embarrass  their  efforts  after  salvation. 
Some  are  holding  on  to  their  companions  and  are  un- 
willing to  give  them  up  for  Christ.  Others  are  de- 
pending on  something  which  they  have  done,  or  in- 
tend to  do,  instead  of  depending  on  Christ  alone. 
Some  are  unwilling  to  abandon  an  unlawful  business, 
or  to  give  up  their  unlawful  gain.  Others  again  have 
contracted  bad  habits,  such  as  the  use  of  tobacco, 
wine,  rum,  whiskey,  or  dancing.  Every  person  is 
willing  to  give  up  something,  but  not  the  particular 
idol  they  worship.  They  make  reservations,  and  say? 
"Pardon,  0  Lord,  thy  servant  in  this  one  thing." 
But  Christ  says,  "Whosoever  doth  not  forsake  all 
that  he  hath,  cannot  be  my  disciple." 

If  persons  who  have  been  converted,  are  in  a  back- 
slidden state,  now  hoping  and  now  doubting,  it  is  safe 
to  bring  them  to  the  same  test  that  you  do  an  enqui- 
rer. The  great  necessity  is  to  bring  every  soul  to 
trust  in  Chiist  solely  and  implicitly,  and  to  serve  him 
unreservedly,  and  leave  all  consequences  with  Him^ 
who,  with  Christ,  freely  giveth  us  all  things.  It  is 
ours  to  serve  God;  it  is  his  to  save. 
.  We  are  all  directed  to  pray.  The  apostle  told  Simon 
to  "pray  God,  if  perhaps  the  thought  of  thy  heart 
may  be  forgiven  thee."  God  "will  have  all  men  to 
pray  everywhere."  The  mercy-seat  should  be  the 
sinner's  first  resort.  O,  how  strange  it  is  that  the 
soul  should  be  so  loatli  to  come  to  Jesus,  the  sinner'a 
friend,  and  his  only  "  helper  in  time  of  trouble" — to 
him  who  has  done  for  him  more  than  any  other  being, 
and  stands  ready  to  save  I 


HOW  TO  INSTEUCT  IKQUIREES.        403 

There  is  a  difference  to  be  observed  in  the  kind  of 
truth  to  be  presented  to  different  persons  with  a  view 
to  awakening  them.  Some  can  be  moved  by  the  con- 
strainings  of  the  love  of  Christ;  others  maybe  aroused 
by  the  terrors  of  the  law.  It  is  common  for  most 
persons  to  place  a  great  estimate  on  the  value  of  that" 
particular  class  of  truths  that  interested  them,  and  to 
think  the  method  which  secured  their  attention  pre- 
ferable to  any  other. 

There  is  a  difference  in  the  length  of  time  in  which 
the  Spirit  strives  with  men.  Some  persons  he  follows 
after  for  years  ;  others  may  never  have  more  than  one 
distinct  call.     If  that  is  rejected,  they  are  forever  lost. 

These  differences  of  operations  are  owing,  in  part, 
to  the  way  in  which  the  Spirit  is  treated.  If  it  is  re- 
jected deliberately,  he  may  leave  the  soul  at  once. 
But  in  other  cases  men  sin  ignorantly  :  seeking  the 
truth,  but  unconsciously  submitting  to  some  unrecog- 
nized influences  which  hinder  the  Spirit's  operations  ; 
and  God  forbears.  All  these  cases  are  to  be  treated 
differently. 

There  is  also  a  difference  in  the  degree  or  depth  of 
conviction  in  different  persons.  Some  need  only  to 
know  the  will  of  God  concerning  them,  and  they  yield 
at  once.  Others  are  more  stubborn  in  the  natural  dis- 
position, and  will  not  yield  unless  God  puts  the 
scre'ws  to  them  and  almost  kills  them.  Our  instruc- 
tions to  the  anxious  must  make'^a  difference"  accord- 
ing to  the  different  conditions  of  the  person  with 
whom  the  Spirit  is  striving. 

There  is  a  difference  in  the  manner  in  which  relief 
comes  to  persons.      Some  find  it  gradually,  hardly 


404  HOW  TO  INSTRUCT  INQUIREHS. 

knowing  how  or  when.  Others  find  the  relief  at  once, 
alid  never  forget  the  time  or  place  when  the  burden 
rolls  off  from  their  minds.  The  conversion  may  be 
as  genuine  in  the  one  case  as  in  the  other.  Two  men 
may  be  going  up  a  long,  steep  hill,  each  with  a  bag  of 
-sand  on  his  back.  In  one  of  these  bags  there  is  a  hole, 
and  the  sand  gradually  falls  out,  and  the  man  hardly 
perceives  the  lessening  of  the  load,  but  soon  it  is  all 
gone  ;  the  other  carries  his  load,  and  it  seems  to  grow 
heavier  and  heavier.  All  at  once  the  straps  break, 
and  the  bag  falls  to  the  ground.  He  knows  the  mo- 
ment when  the  burden  fell.  But  in  the  one  case  the 
relief  is  as  actual  and  real  as  in  the  other.  Each 
has  got  rid  of  his  burden. 

So  also  there  is  a  difference  as  to  the  way  in  which 
light  comes  into  the  soul.  Some  see  but  a  very  few 
rays  at  first.  Conversion  is  to  them  like  the  dawning 
of  day.  They  never  see  any  great  light ;  can  hardly 
tell  whether  any  change  has  come  over  them  or  not; 
and  because  they  have  not  felt,  as  some  say  they  have, 
they  are  tempted  to  doubt  the  reality  of  their  hopes- 
Still  they  love  God,  and  love  his  people,  and  love  his 
service.  Others  experience  a  divine  illumination. 
All  at  once  light  is  poured  into  their  souls.  The 
change  is  so  great  that  they  never  forget  the  time. 
These  persons  need  to  be  taught  that  the  genuineness 
of  their  conversion  does  not  depend  on  the  degree  of 
light  they  have  enjoyed,  but  on  the  state  of  their  af- 
fections ;  whether  they  love  God  and  keep  his  com- 
mandinents ;  whether  they  are  in  sympathy  with 
Christ,  his  service,  and  his  people.  There  was  a  dif- 
ference between  the  conversion  of  the  eunuch  and  that 


HOW  TO  INSTEUCT  INQUIRERS.  .  405 

of  Paul.  But  Paul  never  bases  the  reality  of  his  con- 
version on  the  mere  miraculous  circumstances  which 
attended  it. 

But  I  am  constrained  to  say  that  I  have  never  de- 
pended as  much  as  some  have  on  instructions  to  the 
anxious.  Rather  I  have  insisted  on  immediate  decis- 
ion— on  instantaneous  repentance,  and  faith  in  the 
Lord  Jesus.  In  the  anxious  room  I  depend  more  on 
prayer,  on  prevailing  supplication  with  God,  than  on 
all  the  instructions  which  can  be  given.  Everything 
is  dark  to  the  sinner  until  enlightened  by  the  Spirit ; 
no  coaxing,  no  teaching,  no  driving  will  compel  or 
induce  the  devil  to  leave  his  palace  in  the  human  soul, 
until  the  stronger  than  the  strong  man  armed  comes 
upon  him  and  binds  him.  Then  the  work  is  done, 
and  done  effectually.  Hence  I  get  all  on  their  knees, 
and  set  them  to  crying  to  God  (both  saints  and  sin- 
ners), till  he  sends  down  salvation.  I  have  known 
fifty  souls  to  be  converted  in  one  season  of  prayer, 
that  is,  before  we  have  risen  from  our  knees. 


CHAPTER   LIX. 

REVIVAL    AMONG   THE   LITTLE    ONES. 

[extract— conqregationalist.] 

By  Rev.  G.  H.  Morss. 

It  came  about  on  this  wise.  The  teachers  of  our 
Sabbath,  school  met  together  to  pray  for,  and  consult  as 
to  what  more  we  could  do  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of 
the  children  and  young  people.  It  was  decided  to  hold 
class  prayer-meetings.  Each  male  teacher  was  to  be 
responsible  for  the  conducting  of  the  meeting  with  his 
class,  the  superintendent  being  responsible  for  the  con- 
duct of  the  meetings  of  classes  taught  by  female 
teachers. 

The  meetings  commenced  in  private  houses  ;  but  soon 
it  became  apparent  that  larger  room  must  be  sought, 
and  we  were  obliged  to  go  to  our  mission  school-room. 
From  the  first  meeting  religious  interest  was  manifested  ; 
the  children  nvere  deeply  affected  and  in  tears. 

Dr,  Todd's  lectures  to  children  were  read  to  them, 
remarks  made  upon  the  subject  thus  introduced,  prayers 
offered  intersper-sed  with  singing.  Soon  the  inquiry  arose 
from  many  hearts  :  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?  And 
after  each  meeting  personal  conversation  was  had  with 


REVIVAL  AMONG  THE   LITTLE  ONES.  407 

those  who  wished  it.  Our  Sabbath  service  was  followed 
witli  prayer  and  inquiry  meetings.  A  deep  and  quiet 
interest  pervaded  each  session  of  the  school.  Conver- 
sions were  frequent,  till  soon  twenty-five  were  rejoicing 
in  a  new-found  Saviour. 

Beside  the  class  prayer  meeting,  the  teachers'  prayer- 
meeting  was  kept  up  during  the  religious  interest,  and 
several  appointed  special  seasons  of  prayfer,  each  agree- 
ing to  be  in  his  closet  at  a  certain  hour  each  day,  pour- 
ing out  their  hearts  to  God  for  each  individual  member 
of  their  classes,  expressed  by  name.  The  children,  also, 
deeply  pervaded  by  the  Holy  Spirit's  influence,  of  their 
own  accord  met  together,  and  prayed  for  their  classes, 
teachers,  and  unconverted  members  of  the  school ; 
spending  a  half  hour  thus,  at  some  private  house,  on 
Sabbath  afternoon  before  the  session  of  the  school ; 
meeting  also  on  Wednesday  afternoon  for  the  same  pur- 
pose. 

An  incident  connected  with  this  meeting,  illustrates 
the  faith  of  the  children.  They  were  under  ten  years 
of  age.  The  Sabbath  after  their  first  meeting  one  of 
them  said  to  her  teacher :  *'  We  had  a  little  prayer- 
meeting  last  week.*'  "Did  you?"  said  the  teacher. 
"  Who  was  there  ?  "  The  little  girl  repeated  over  the 
names  of  two  of  her  mates.  "Was  that  all?"  asked 
the  teacher.  "  No,"  was  the  quick  reply  of  the  child  ; 
"  there  was  one  more."  "  And  who  was  that  ?  "  asked 
the  teacher.  "Jesus,"  said  the  child.  "But,"  said 
the  teacher,  "  how  do  you  know  Jesus  was  there  ? " 
"Because,"  replied  the  child,  "He  has  said:  'Where 
two  or  three  are  met  together  in  my  name,  there  am  I  in 
the  midst  of  them,'  and  we  felt  he  was  there." 


408  EEVIVAL  AMONG  THE   LITTLE  ONES. 

The  genuineness  of  the  conversion  which  took  place 
became  apparent,  not  only  in  their  countenances  and 
words,  but  in  little,  though  touching,  acts  of  kindness 
towards  each  other  at  school,  and  in  a  very  marked 
change  in  their  behavior  at  home,  to  which  their  parents 
bore  witness.  While  this  was  a  mission  school,  most  of 
these  converts  subsequently  conaected  themselves,  we 
believe,  with  some  church. 

The  measures  adopted  to  bring  about  this  religious 
interest  were  such  as  might  be  made  practicable  in  Sab- 
bath schools  where  there  are  also  church  privileges. 
The  class  prayer.meeting,  not  directly  after  the  Metho- 
dist order,  though  that  is  good,  may  become  a  helpful 
aid  to  the  teacher  in  making  the  spiritual  application  of 
the  truths  taught  on  the  Sabbath.  Try  it  teacher.  Try 
it  superintendent. 


CHAPTER  LX. 
COMMON    SENSE    IN    REVIVALS. 

[CONGKEGATIONALIST.] 

By  Key.  E.  P.  Tinney. 

Said  Dr.  Witherspoon  to  a  divinity  student :  ''  If 
yoQ  have  no  piety,  you  know  how  to  get  it;  if  you 
have  no  learning,  you  know  where  to  get  it ;  but  if 
yoQ  have  no  common  sense,  God  have  mercy  on  your 
sou)."  It  is  certain  that  nothing  can  take  the  place 
of  what  John  Locke  calls  "  good  roundabout  sense," 
in  promoting  revival  works. 

In  the  first  place,  a  man  must  know  enough  to  keep 
well.  The  moment  one's  nerves  are  unstrung,  he 
loses  his  hold  on  men.  Coarse,  rough  and  ready  men 
have  no  appreciation  of  the  fine  sensibilities  and  over- 
work which  break  down  a  pastor.  The  common 
people  have  a  great  respect  for  tough  clergymen. 
Revivalists  must  be  able  to  endure  hardness.  The 
kingdom  is  to  the  strongest.  A  good  digestion  and 
capacity  for  sleep  are  needful.  Beef-steak  and  sound 
sleep  will  save  souls  ;  but  restless  nights  will  not. 
Good  judgment  is  a  prime  factor  in  successful  revival 
work. 

35 


410  COMMON  SENSE  IN  EEVIVALS. 

Further,  it  is  a  common  sense  rule  in  revivals  to 
take  things  by  the  rii,^ht  handle,  and  handle  the  saint* 
before  v^^restling  with  sinners.  If  God's  people  stand 
aloof,  the  devil's  people  will  not  turn  to.  The  way 
of  the  Lord  must  be  prepared.  Sometimes  it  takea 
several  months  to  get  ready  for  a  revival,  but  a  steady 
pressure  in  one  line  will  clear  the  way.  The  end  must 
be  kept  in  sight  Sunday  and  week  day.  Dr.  Porter 
used  to  believe  that,  where  there  was  no  revival,  the 
minister  tuas  the  greatest  obstacle;  and  he  confessed 
that  his  own  early  ministry  was  at  fault.  Revivals 
do  not  come  without  seeking  them;  they  do  come  hy 
seeJcing.  Yet,  out  of  every  hundred  Congregational 
ministers,  a  great  number  are  afraid  lest  the  ark  of 
God  should  move  on  some  cart  that  is  new,  and  be 
drawn  by  bullocks  half  wild.  Many  are  afraid  of 
multiplying  meetings,  and  do  not  seem  to  know  that 
the  early  church  held  daily  meetings  for  300  years. 
If  men  thoroughly  believe  in  revivals,  and  vehemently 
give  themselves  to  the  work,  the  way  will  be  prepar- 
ed. But  it  is  imperative  to  keep  the  people  to  this 
one  line.  Do  pastor  and  people  try  to  prepare  for' 
revival  works  during  a  fortnight,  and  then  stop  to 
tickle  the  young  people  by  an  evening's  entertainment, 
or  raise  a  few  dollars  by  a  fair?  It  is  hard  to  get  a 
half  water-logged  church  into  motion  up  the  stream^ 
and  if  the  motion  is  stopped  every  now  and  then,  to 
give  the  crew  time  to  sell  gew-gaws,  or  play  at  blind 
man's  buff,  there  will  be  no  more  progress  than  in  an 
Arab  boat  ascending  the  Nile,  when  the  boatmen 
throw  out  drags — to  make  their  job  hold  out  longer — 
and  then  explain  the  slow   sailing  by  crying,  "  God 


COMMON  SENSE   IN  REVIVALS.  411 

wills  it  ! "  There  inay  he  a  revival  in  any  parish, 
where  there  has  been  no  general  revival  for  some 
years,  if  the  church  ivill  rise  up  and  prepare  the  way. 
There  must  be  preaching  in  on3  line  till  the  way  is 
prepared.  Sometimes  an  evangelist  with  a  new  voice 
may  come  in  at  the  critical  moment,  and  supplement 
the  work  of  the  pastor,  turning  the  tide.  But  abso- 
lutely nothing  can  be  done  if  the  pastor,  and  the  lead- 
ing church  members,  are  afraid  of  disturbing  the  regu- 
lar order  of  the  meetings  and  getting  out  of  the  ruts 
to  save  souls. 

Some  Christians  will  sit  upon  a  fence  waiting  an 
eminent  evangelist  to  tell  them  to  get  down  and  go 
to  work  ;  and  multitudes  will  perish  before  they  reach 
out  a  hand.  Is  there  no  other  name  under  heaven 
than  that  of  Moody,  whereby  men  can  be  saved  ? 
What  about  an  evangelist?  The  churches  may  rely 
upon  a  man :  but  unless  the  power  of  God  is  brought 
down  from  heaven,  there  will  be  no  more  light  and 
warmth  than  if  one  were  to  kindle  a  handful  of  thorns, 
and  let  them  crackle  for  an  hour,  hoping  thereby  to 
thaw  out  the  frozen  zone. 

The  only  possible  hope  for  a  revival  in  any  church 
is  when,  by  the  presence  of  an  evangelist,  or  of  a  'tnin. 
ister  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  people  stir  themselves 
up  to  lay  hold  on  God.  If  several  persons  will  put 
themselves  in  such  spiritual  posture  that  God  loves 
to  hear  them  pray,  and  then  the  truth  is  clearly  and 
continuously  urged  upon  the  people,  the  Holy  Ghost 
will  certainly  descend  in  connection  with  these  two 
instrumentalities.  This  is  attainable  by  common 
church  members  and  common  ministers.     Fourteen 


412  COMMON  SENSE   IN  EEYIYALS. 

winters  of  reviva]in  one  church,  according  to  Finney, 
rose  out  of  a  habit  the  brethren  had  of  praying  for 
their  minister  far  into  the  night  just  before  each 
Sabbath.  John  Welsh  someiimes  spent  seven  or 
eight  hours  a  day  in  prayer,  and  occasionally  a 
whole  night,  shut  up  in  his  church  pleading  for  his 
congregation. 

The  common  sense  rule  about  preaching  is  to  let 
the  Hohj  Ghost  do  the  preaching.     And   if  the  unction 
of  God  be  not  in  the  delivery  of  the  sermon,  it  falls 
to  the  ground.     The  minister  is  ti  he  the  instru-,npnt 
of  the   Holy    Ghost.      "  Every  sermon,"  says  Joseph 
Cooke,  "  should  be  a  chain  :  but  chain-lightnin^r-"     It 
is  God  who  electrifies  through  the  preacher,  His  in- 
strument. Sermon  making  is  merely  a  tinker's  job,  un- 
less a  man  prays  over  his  seimon  till  the  Holy  Ghost 
puts  life  into    it.     Upon   two    memorable    occasions, 
Augustine   preached  eloquently  and   the  people  ap- 
plauded; but  he  kept   on    until   they  cried,    and  he 
broke  down  and  cried  with  them :  and  then  thev  did 
what  he  wanted  them  to  do.     Knox  and  the  reform- 
ers were  like  the  Hebrew  prophets,  speaking  by  in- 
spiration.    Payson  in  the  pulpit  plead  with  men ;  and 
if  they  were    not  moved,  he  came   down  out  of  the 
pulpit  and  plead,  until  the  men  were  moved,  yielding 
to  God,  or  spurning  him.     The  most  effective  Welch 
preachers  used  to  expect  present  results,  and  were 
unwilling  to  leave  off  the  service  till  they  saw  visible 
signs  of  the  spirit's  presence.     Robert  Roberts  would, 
on   any  great   occasion,   prostrate  himself  upon  the 
floor  of  his  room  all  night,  agonizing  with  God  pray- 
ing that  he  might  feel  the  power  of  the  truth  he  was 


COMMON  SENSE  IN  REVIVALS.  413 

to  utter.  Two  school  boys  went  one  day  to  hear  him  ; 
and  they  saw  that  the  preacher  began  by  an  intensely 
earnest  look  upon  the  audience,  his  eyes  piercing  the 
people,  and  as  he  grew  more  and  more  earnest,  some 
fainted  and  others  cried  out,  and  the  place  was  thril- 
led, "  as  if  an  angel  stood  at  his  back  to  encourage 
him."  One  of  the  boys  turned  to  the  other,  and  with 
pale  face,  asked,''  is  he  a  man  or  an  angel  ?''  "  ^^hy, 
an  angel ;  did  not  you  know?"  ''Great  heaven  !  but 
how  much  better  an  angel  preaches  than  a  man  I" 

Angels  live  near  to   God.     Let  the  angels  of  the 
churches  live  near  to   God,   and  revivals  of  rehgion 
will  multiply. 
35* 


CHAPTER  LXI. 
THE     CONDITION. 

[CONGREGATIONALIST.] 

By  Rey.  L.  H.  Blake. 

This  morning  I  received  through  the  post  office  this 
note  from  one  of  my  church  members  : 

"  Brother  :  Do  you  think  the  time  has  arrived — or  are 
we  very  near  it — when  there  should  be  a  greater  effort 
on  the  part  of  the  church  to  induce  men  and  women  to 
come  to  Christ  ?  " 

It  seems  to  me  that  that  postal  card  contained  the 
key-note  of  revival  interest;  namely:  " /s  the  church 
ready  to  work  for  it  ?"  I  have  thought,  sometimes,  that 
the  church  were  marvelously  insensible  to  this.  And  I 
doubt  not  that  more  than  one  pastor  has  been  discour- 
aged because  his  people  gave  so  little  response  to  his 
earnest  appeals  to  them  to  begin  revival  work.  Do 
Christian  people  suppose  that  there  can  be  a  revival 
when  they  make  no  effort  for  it,  or  perhaps  are  them, 
selves  spiritually  cold  ? 

Very  many  Christian  people,  while  zealously  talking 
of  a  revival,  hoping  for  it,  praying  about  it  in  the  meet- 
ings,  even  expecting  it,   and   descanting    sensibly   on 


THE  CONDITION.  415 

"  what  needs  to  be,"  yet  cannot  be  induced  to  commit 
themselves  individually  to  active  revival  efforts.  A 
pastor  of  our  acquaintance,  whose  church  had  been  for 
weeks  in  an  expectant  state  respecting  a  revival,  but 
who  began  to  feel  at  length  that  something  more  definite 
was  needed,  finally  put  the  question  definitely  before  his 
brethren  one  evening,  at  the  church  meeting :  ''  If  you 
are  expecting  and  longing  for  a  revival,  and  if,  as  you 
say,  the  work  must  begin  in  the  church,  are  you  willing 
individually  to  enter  into  active  revival  effort?"  To 
this  question  no  response  was  made  whatever,  but  the 
hour  was  consumed  with  the  same  spirited  generalities 
as  heretofore.  Again  he  placed  the  matter  before  his 
church  members  in  the  same  light ;  result,  the  same  as 
before.  Then  he  preached  on  the  subject,  with  the 
object  of  making  it  appear  that  a  revived  church  meant 
revived  individuals,  an  active  church,  active  church 
members.  But  the  result  was  to  call  out  one  response  : 
"  I  am  glad  the  pastor  preached  on  that  subject,"  and 
then — the  usual  generalities. 

There  seems  to  he  a  wide- spread  expectation  of  a  great 
revival  this  tuinter.  "  The  feeling  is  m  the  atmosphere,'* 
etc.,  etc.,  etc.  But  that  all  amounts  to  little.  If  there 
is  to  be  a  far-reaching  work  of  grace,  then  very  many 
communities  must  be  revived.  And  if  a  community  be 
revived,  the  church  must  be  revived  and  active  ;  for  as 
a  rule,  revivals  begin  with  the  church,  and  if  a  church 
is  to  become  revived  and  active,  why  then — it  is  the 
plainest  sort  of  logic — the  individual  members  must 
become  revived,  and  begin  to  work. 

So,  then,  the  whole  matter  comes  down  to  this  :  each 
member  must  consecrate  himself.     Generalities  will  not 


416  THE  CONDITION. 

do.  When  cliurch  members  stop  talking  about  what 
may,  can,  must,  might,  could,  would,  and  should  be 
done,  and  begin  to  ask  :  "  Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me 
to  do  ?  "  the  revival  will  come  with  power. 

PERSONAL  WORK. 

Note. — Some  of  the  churches  anticipate  the  assistance 
of  an  evangelist.  That  God  may  work  glorious  things 
by  his  agency,  we  will  all  pray.  Others  will  pursue 
their  way  without  an  evangelist.  In  either  case  I  coun- 
sel more  attention  to  the  work  given  to  us  individually, 
than  lo  any  extraneous  thing.  We  will  shut  our  mouths 
tight  against  narrow  criticism  and  petty  fault-finding. 
If  lue  gain  no  benefit  from  any  measures  adopted,  we 
will  at  least  decline  to  stand  in  the  way  of  men  who  do. 
Our  want  is  the  drawing  of  souls  God-ward.  Oar  duty 
lies  largely  in  the  personal  work  of  self-humbling  before 
God  and  before  men  ;  of  fresh  and  full  consecration,  and 
the  work  which  shall  show  it  to  be  true  ;  and  the  whole, 
inspired  and  sustained  by  faith,  strong  and  hearty,  in  the 
Almighty  Saviour,  who  leads  individuals  and  churches 
on  to  the  conquest  of  sin  and  of  Satan. — Rev.  G,  iV. 
Anthony, 

god's  way. 

Note.  —  *'  I  feel  sure  we  shall  have  a  revival 
soon."  We  were  startled  one  evening,  while  returning 
from  our  weekly  prayer  meeting,  by  hearing  this  remark 
at  our  very  elbow.  The  meeting  had  been  unusually 
cold  and  barren — at  least  we  thought  so. 

"Why  do  you  expect  a  revival?"  we  asked.  The 
reply  was  characteristic  of  one  whose  faith  looked  be- 
yond the  bounds  of  sense.     "  I  learned  this  evening  ttiat 


THE   CONDITION.  417 

tliree  different  members  of  our  church  are  praying  for 
the  same  individuals,"  was  the  reply.  "Each  is  igno- 
rant  of  the  other's  stronor  desire  for  the  conversion  of 
these  souls,  and  I  conclude  God's  spirit  only  can  thus 
simultaneously  operate  upon  these  minds,  prompting 
them  to  pray  for  one  and  the  same  object.  We  shall 
surely  enjoy  a  revival  soon." 

True  tt)  this  prophecy,  a  few  weeks  elapsed  ere  a  new 
atmosphere  pervaded  our  prayer-meetings,  and  numbers 
were  inquirers.  Among  these  were  those  for  whom 
prayer  had  been  offered  in  secret,  and  they  were  the 
first  fruits  of  a  precious  harvest. — E.  G.  E. 

^^A  revival  is  not  to  be  waited  for  or  sought  inac 
tively.  To  engage  earnestly  and  constantly,  in  strong 
and  simple  faith,  in  doiog  the  Lord's  work  lying  all 
around  us,  will  bring  about  all  the  results  of  a  revival 
to  Chrisistians  and  to  sinners, 


CHAPTER  LXII. 

MEANS    OF   PROMOTING   REVIVALS. 

(EXTRACTS.) 

,        Wm.  B.  Sprague,  D.  D. 

Much   is  to  be  done  in  producing  and  sustaining  a 
revival  by  means  of  conversation. 

This  is  a  duty  which  devolves  not  only  upon  the  min- 
ister and  other  officers  or  the  church,  but  upon  all 
private  Christians  according  to  their  ability.  And  it  is 
a  duty  which  may  be  performed  in  a  great  variety  of 
circumstances.  There  may  be  frequent  opportunities 
for  it  in  the  common  intercourse  of  life  ;  and  no  doubt  a 
suitable  degree  of  attention  would  discover  many  oppor- 
tunities which  are  suffered  to  pass  without  observation. 
But  this  is  a  duty  which,  especially  in  a  season  of  revi- 
val, should  hold  a  distinct  and  prominent  place  among 
Christian  duties ;  and  should  not  be  left  to  the  control 
of  any  contingency.  'J'here  should  be,  so  far  asposible, 
a  regular  system  of  visiting,  especially  on  the  part  of 
church  officers ;  with  a  view  to  alarm,  to  direct,  or  to 
quicken,  according  to  the  circumstances  of  each  individ- 
ual with  whom  they  may  converse. 

It  belongs  to  Christians  on  these  occasions  to  stir  up 


MEANS  OF  PPtOMOTING  EEVIVALS.  419 

the  minds  of  each  other  ;  to  endeavor  to  make  each 
other  ieel  more  deeply  their  responsibility,  and  the  value 
of  the  souls  around  them,  and  the  danger  of  their  beinsf 
lost :  and  if  there  be  among  their  number  any  who  are 
sluggish,  and  disposed  to  excuse  themselves  from  coming 
up  to  the  help  of  the  Lord,  they  are  to  be  entreated 
affectionately,  yet  earnestly,  to  shake  off  their  apathy, 
and  give  themselves  actively  to  the  great  work.  And 
while  Christians  are  to.be  faithful  in  their  conversation 
with  each  other, — to  encourage,  to  arouse,  to  quicken,  so 
also  are  they  to  be  faithful  in  warning  the  wicked  of  his 
wicked  way,  and  in  endeavoring  to  open  his  eyes  on 
the  destruction  that  threatens  him.  And  those  whose 
consciences  are  awake  they  are  to  press  with  the  obliga- 
tion of  immediate  repentance  ;  explaining  to  them,  if 
need  be,  the  terms  of  the  gospel,  and  endeavoring  to 
lead  them  without  delay  to  the  cross  of  Christ.  They 
have  an  important  duty  to  perform  also  in  respect  to 
those  who  have  professedly  come  out  of  darkness  into 
light ;  in  assisting  to  detect  false  hopes  and  confirm  good 
hopes ;  to  guard  against  temptation,  and  establish  jmn- 
ciples  of  holy  living,  and  form  plans  for  future  useful- 
ness. Many  a  Christian  has  had  occasion,  through  his 
whole  religious  life,  to  reflect  that  much  of  his  useful- 
ness and  much  of  his  happiness,  was  to  be  referred  under 
God,  to  an  unreserved  intimacy,  or  perhaps  to  a  single 
conversation,  with  some  judicious  Christian  friend,  at 
that  critical  moment  subsequent  to  his  conversion,  when 
he  was  adopting  principles  for  the  regulation  of  his 
conduct. 

Another  important  means  for  producing  and  sustain- 
ing a  revival  is  Sahlath^school  and  Bible  class  instmCm 


420  MEANS   OF  PEOMOTING  REVIVALS. 

tion.  It  ought  to  be,  and  we  doubt  not,  is,  to  a  great 
extent,  regarded  as  the  duty  of  every  teacher,  not  merely 
to  enlighten  the  understanding,  but  to  impress  divine 
truth  upon  the  heart  and  conscience  of  each  of  his 
pupils ;  aiming  at  nothing  short  of  a  thorough  moral 
renovation.  Here  is  the  best  possible  opportunity  for 
the  teacher  to  find  his  way  to  the  heart.  If,  in  the 
intercourse  which  he  holds  with  his  pupils,  he  is  amiable 
and  conciliatory,  he  will  almost  of  course  secure  their 
confidence  ;  and  this  is  a  most  important  preparation  for 
their  listening  to  him  with  attention  and  profit.  And 
then  let  him,  from  time  to  time,  commune  faithfully 
with  their  consciences  ;  let  him  show  them  how  the  truths 
which  he  inculcates  involve  their  interests  and  destiny 
for  eternity  ;  let  him  press  them  frequently  with  those 
considerations  which  are  most  fitted  to  make  them  feel 
that  religion  is  the  one  things  needful,  and  that  there  is 
no  apology  for  neglecting  it.  Let  him  carefully  watch 
every  serious  imjjression,  following  it  up  by  suitable 
admonitions  and  counsels  ;  and  finally  let  him  bear  the 
interests  of  these  children  before  the  throne  of  the 
heavenly  grace;  and  he  has  good  reason  to  expect  that 
such  instrumentality  will  be  honored  in  saving  souls 
from  death.  It  is  familiar  to  you  all  that  the  records  of 
Sabbath-Fchools  and  the  records  of  revivals  are  to  a 
great  extent  identified  ;  that  the  noblest  triumphs  of 
God's  grace  have  often  been  found  in  these  nurseries  of 
knowledge,  virtue,  and  piety. 

Revivals  hsive  frequently  commenced  in  Bible- classes ^ 
and  not  a  few  instances  have  occurred,  in  which  all  or 
nearly  all  the  members  of  a  class  have  become  hopefully 
the  subjects  of  renewing  grace ;  while  the  work,  which 


MEANS   OF  PEOMOTING  BEVIVALS.  421 

had  its  beginniog  here,  has  extended  on  the  right  hand 
and  on  the  left,  till  multitudes  have  experienced  its 
quickening  and  renovating  influence. 

Again,  the  faithful  discharge  of  parental  duty,  is 
another  important  means  of  promoting  a  revival. 

There  is  no  human  influence  ever  exerted  in  forming 
the  character,  more  decisive,  whether  for  good  or  evil, 
than  that  of  parents  ;  and  if  it  be  a  well  directed  relig- 
ious influence,  we  have  a  right  to  expect,  both  from  the 
nature  of  the  case  and  from  actual  experience,  that  it 
will  secure  the  happiest  results.  Let  a  parent  train  up 
his  children  in  the  way  which  the  Bible  prescribes ;  let 
him  faithfully  instruct  them  in  the  truths  of  God's 
word  as  soon  as  they  are  capable  of  being  taught ;  let 
him  render  his  instructions  as  familiar  and  practical  as 
possible,  mingling  with  them  appropriate  counsels  and 
admonitions  ;  and  let  him  pray  with  them,  and  for  them, 
and  teacn  them  to  pray  for  themselves ;  and  if  all  this 
is  not  immediately  instrumental  of  their  conversion,  it 
will,  at  least  in  all  ordinary  cases,  render  them  pecu- 
liarly promising  Candida- es  for  converting  grace ;  will 
be  a  happy  preparation  for  the  effectual  work  of  God's 
Holy  Spirit. 

It  deserves  also  to  be  remarked  that  much  devolves 
upon  Christian  parents  in  immediately  sustaining  and 
carrying  forward  a  revival.  If  they  see  their  children, 
at  such  a  time,  manifesting  an  indifference  lo  the  things 
of  religion,  they  are  to  press  them  most  earnestly  and 
affectionately  with  its  obligations.  If  they  see  in  them 
the  least  anxiety,  they  are  to  endeavor  by  every  means, 
to  cherish  it,  and  put  them  on  their  guard  against  griev- 
ing away  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  take  them  by  the  hand, 
36 


422  MEANS   OF  PEOMOTING  REVIVALS. 

and  lead  them  if  possible,  to  the  Lamb  of  God.  If  they 
see  them  rejoicing  in  the  hope  that  their  sins  are  for- 
given, they  are  to  aid  them  by  lessons  from  God's  word 
and  their  own  experience,  to  ascertain  the  true  char- 
acter of  their  religious  exercises,  and  to  avoid  the  hope 
of  the  hypocrite.  It  is  a  reproach  to  many  Christian 
parents,  that  they  suffer  a  false  delicacy  to  prevail  against 
the  faithful  discharge  of  their  duty  in  these  most  inter- 
esting circumstances.  As  God  has  constituted  them  the 
guardians  of  their  children,  it  devolves  upon  them  to  be 
especially  watchful  in  respect  to  their  immortal  interests  J 
and  never  is  neglect  more  culpable,  than  when  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  offering  to  co-operate  with  them  to  secure  their 
children's  salvation. 

The  last  means  for  promoting  a  revival  which  I  shall 
notice,  is,  an  exercise  designed  particularly  for  awak- 
ened sinners. 

At  the  close  of  a  public  service  in  which  God^s  truth 
has  been  exhibited  and  enforced,  let  those  who  have 
been  impressed  by  it,  and  who  wish  to  have  their  im- 
pressions deepened,  and  to  be  instructed  in  reference  to 
their  duty  and  salvation,  be  requested  to  remain  after 
the  rest  of  the  assembly  have  retired.  And  then  let 
the  minister,  or  some  other  competent  person,  address 
them  earnestly  and  affectionately  in  reference  to  their 
peculiar  condition ;  connecting  with  the  address  one  or 
more  prayers ;  and  afterwards,  so  far  as  circumstances 
may  admit,  or  occasion  require,  let  them  be  met  in  a 
more  private  way,  and  let  the  particular  state  of  each 
mind  be  ascertained ;  and  let  each  receive  appropriate 
counsel  and  instruction. 


MEANS  OF  PROMOTING  REVIVALS.  423 

Our  subject  may  assist  us  to  discover  the  cause  of  the 
decline  of  a  revival, 

I  admit  that  there  is  more  or  less  of  sovereignity  here  ; 
and  that  the  Spirit  of  God  operates  whenever  and  wher- 
ever, in  infinite  wisdom,  he  pleases.  I  acknowledge  too 
that  the  strongs  excitement  which  often  attends  a  revival 
cannot,  so  far  as  respects  the  same  individuals,  be  kept 
up  fur  a  long  time  ;  nor  is  it  at  all  essential,  or  even 
desirable,  that  it  should  be.  But  so  far  as  a  healthful 
and  vigorous  state  of  relisrious  feeling^  is  connected  on  the 
part  of  Christians,  and  I  may  add,  in  view  of  the  prom- 
ises of  God  to  answer  prayer,  so  far  as  the  conversion  of 
sinners  is  concered,  it  is  not  irreverent  to  say,  that  while 
he  is  himself  the  great  agent,  he  commits  his  work  in  an 
important  sense,  into  the  hands  of  his  people  ;  and  if  it 
decline,  there  is  blame  resting  upon  them.  It  is  because 
they  have  grown  v/eary  in  their  supplications,  or  because 
they  have  relaxed  in  the  use  of  some  other  of  the  means 
which  he  has  put  within  their  reach.  Let  Cbristians 
then  tremble  in  view  of  their  responsibility  ;  and  when 
God  is  sending  down  his  Spirit  to  work  with  them,  let 
them  take  heed  that  they  render  a  hearty  and  perse- 
vering co-operation.  Let  them  take  heed  that  they 
grieve  not  this  divine  agent  to  depart  either  from  their 
own  souls,  lest  they  should  be  given  up  to  barrenness  ; 
or  from  the  souls  of  inquiring  sinners,  lest  there  should 
fall  upon  them  them  the  curse  of  reprobation. 

Once  more  :  Hmv  great  is  the  privilege  and  the  honor 
which  Christians  enjoy,  of  being  permitted  to  co-operate 
with  Ood  in  carrying  forioard  his  work. 

When  you  are  laboring  for  the  salvation  of  sinners 
around  you,  when  you  are  using  the  various  means  which 


424  MEANS   OF  PROMOTING   REVIVALS. 

God  has  put  into  your  hands  to  waken  them  to  conviction 
and  bring  them  to  repentance,  you  are  laboring  in  the 
very  cause  which  is  identified  with  the  success  and  the 
glory  of  Christ's  mediation.  Nay,  you  are  a  fellow 
worker  with  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  while  he  honors  your 
efforts  with  his  saving  blessing,  they  are  set  down  to 
your  account  in  the  book  of  God's  remembrance.  Yes, 
Christians,  all  that  you  do  in  this  cause  brings  glory  to 
God  in  the  highest,  contributes  to  brighten  your  immortal 
crown,  and  subserves  the  great  cause  of  man's  salvation. 
What  remains  then  but  that  you  take  these  considera- 
tions to  your  heart  as  so  many  arguments,  to  labor  in  this 
holy  cause  with  more  untiring  zeal,  with  more  holy  fi(]el- 
ity]  Is  it  a  cause  that  demands  sacrifices?  You  can 
well  afford  to  make  them,  for  it  brings  happiness,  and 
glory,  and  honor  in  its  train.  Let  it  be  seen  on  earth , 
and  let  the  an^ls  report  it  in  heaven,  that  you  are  co- 
workers with  God,  in  giving  effect  to  the  purposes  of  his 
grace,  and  in  training  up  immortal  souls  for  the  glories 
of  his  kingdom. 


CHAPTER  LXIII. 

TREATMENT   DUE  TO   AWAKENED   SINNERS, 

(extracts,) 
Wm.  B,  Sprague,  D.  D. 

I.  I  am  to  present  before  you  the  general  course  proper 
to  he  taken  iviih  an  awakened  sinner. 

When  a  person  in  these  circumstances  comes  to  ask 
your  counsel,  the  first  thing  you  have  to  determine  is, 
what  is  his  amount  of  knowledge,  and  his  amount  of 
feeling. 

Let  him  be  admonished,  first  of  all,  that  the  duty  of 
devoting  himself  to  God  by  a  compliance  with  the  term!^ 
of  the  gospelj  is  of  immediate  obligation ;  and  that  he  is 
guilty,  and  becoming  more  and  rnore  guilty^  in  the 
neglect  of  it. 

Let  the  awakened  sinner  be  admonished  farther  that 
the  present  is  the  best  time  for  securing  his  souVs  salva- 
tion. For  then  there  are  facilities  for  becoming  religious 
which  do  not  exist  at  any  other  period.  Supposing  him, 
as  I  here  do,  to  be  in  the  midst  of  a  revival,  there  is  an 
energy  and  efficiency  in  all  the  means  of  grace  which  is, 
to  a  great  extent,  peculiar  to  such  a  scene.  Ministers 
are  encouraged  to  preach  with  unaccustomed  earnestness, 
36» 


426        TEEATMENT  DUB  TO  AWAKENED   SINNEES. 

and  are  enabled  to  bring  out  the  truth  of  God  with  great 
pungency  and  effect.  Christians  too  pray  with  unwonted 
fervor,  and  converse  with  peculiar  fidelity ;  and  there  is 
the  current  of  example  setting  strongly  in  favor  of  re- 
ligion ;  and  tlie  very  atmosphere  around  seems  to  be 
pervaded  by  deep  solemnity ;  and  with  all  this  the  sin- 
ner's own  attention  is  awake ;  and  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
striving  wiih  him  to  bring  him  to  repentence.  Let  him 
be  inquired  of  what  circumstances  can  exist  more  favor- 
able to  his  conversion  than  now  exist.  Let  him  be  re- 
minded that  he  has  no  reason  to  expect  that  such  an 
assemblage  of  circumstances  will  again  occur  in  the 
course  of  his  life ;  and  that  even  if  they  should,  the 
same  disposition  which  would  lead  him  to  resist  the 
Spirit  now,  might  lead  him  to  resist  it  then.  Dwell 
upon  the  appalling  fact,  that  trifling  with  divine  influ- 
ences must  serve  greatly  to  harden  the  heart ;  and  that 
if  he  return  to  the  world  from  the  point  which  he  has 
now  gained,  he  will  in  all  probability,  go  back  to  a  point 
of  obduracy  at  which  he  will  be  left,  without  any  farther 
divine  interposition,  to  take  his  own  way  down  to  the 
chambers  of  eternal  death. 

Admonish  him,  farther,  that  he  is  in  danger,  from 
various  causes,  of  losing  his  serious  iinpressions.  This 
is  a  point  in  relation  to  which  he  may  not  improbably 
think  himself  safe  ;  and  though  he  may  not  be  able  ta 
anticipate  any  favorable  result  of  his  convictions,  yet  so 
pungent  and  overwhelming  are  they,  that  he  cannot 
realize  that  there  is  any  danger  of  their  leaving  him* 
But  even  the  strongest  religious  impressions  are  some- 
times driven  away  from  the  soul  almost  in  an  hour ; 
though  in  general  the  process  is  a  gradual  and  almost 


TREATMENT  DUE   TO  AWAKENED   SINNERS.        427 

imperceptible  one.  Admonish  him  to  beware  of  the 
levities  of  the  world ;  for  one  light  conversation  with  a 
careless  friend,  may  change  decisively  the  current  of  his 
thoughts.  Guard  him  against  the  influence  of  worldly 
care — even  of  his  necessary  daily  employments ;  for  any 
thing  of  a  mere  worldly  nature  that  occupies  the  mind, 
is  liable  to  turn  it  off  from  the  great  subject  of  salvation. 
Caution  him,  also,  against  yielding  to  a  false  shame ;  for 
this  cannot  long  prevail  without  grieving  away  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Urge  upon  him,  the  importance  of  holding  God's  ' 
truth  to  his  mind  as  constantly  as  possible,  that  thus  the 
impressions  which  have  already  been  made  by  it,  may 
have  no  opportunity  to  escape.  And  to  give  the  greatest 
effect  to  all  these  cautions,  point  him  to  examples  in  the 
way  of  illustrating  them  ;  and  let  him  know  that  there 
are  multitudes  now  in  the  ranks  of  profligacy  and  infi- 
delity, who  once  even  trembled  under  the  awakening 
influences  of  God's  Spirit.  In  view  of  the  tremendous 
evil  which  must  reseult  from  the  departure  of  this  divine 
agent  from  the  soul  on  the  one  hand,  and  of  the  ease 
with  which  he  may  be  grieved  away  on  the  other,  you 
are  to  ring  a  monitory  peal  in  the  ear  of  the  awakened 
sinner,  adapted  to  make  him  cherish  his  impressions 
with  the  most  watchful  diligence. 

And  then,  again,  you  are  to  put  him  on  his  guard 
against  seeking  salvation  in  a  spirit  of  self-righteous.  ■ 
ness.  There  is  no  natural  predilection  in  man  for  the 
gospel  plan  of  salvation  :  on  the  contrary,  there  is  a 
strong  original  bias  in  favor  of  being  saved  by  the  deeds 
of  the  law :  though  unhappily  there  is  no  disposition  to 
perform  the  deeds  which  the  law  requires.  Hence  the 
sinner,  when  he  is  first  awakened,  almost  always  puts 


428        TREATMENT   DUE   TO  AWAKENED   SINNERS. 

himself  upon  a  course  of  self  righteous  effort ;  and  prac- 
tically asks  with  the  young  man  in  the  gospel :  "  whut 
good  thing  he  shall  do  that  he  may  inherit  eternal  life." 
He  forthwith  begins  an  attendance  upon  all  the  means 
of  grace,  if  he  has  neglected  them  before,  or  if  he  has 
been  accustomed  to  attend  upon  them,  he  does  it  now 
with  an  increased  deo;ree  of  seriousness.  He  listens 
attentively  to  God's  word  ;  is  found  in  the  meeting  for 
social  prayer,  and  religious  conference  ;  passes  much 
time  in  his  closet,  and  in  conversing  with  Christian 
friends  :  and  in  short,  aims  to  perform  externally  every 
duty  which  God  requires  of  him.  And  in  all  this  the 
secret  feeling  of  his  heart,  is,  even  though  he  may  not 
always  be  sensible  of  it,  that  he  is  performing  something 
meritorious,  which  will  catch  and  please  the  eye  of  God. 
and  cause  his  name  to  be  enrolled  in  the  Lamb's  book 
of  life.  Now  it  devolves  upon  you  carefully  to  guard 
him  against  this  error ;  for  so  long  as  it  is  retained,  it 
must  be  an  effectual  barrier  to  a  compliance  with  the 
terms  of  the  gospel.  Do  not  discourage  him  from  striving; 
but  admonish  him  to  strive  in  the  spirit  of  the  new 
covenant,  and  not  of  the  old.  Tell  him  that  there  is  no 
merit  in  any  of  his  striving,  and  that  he  can  never  be 
saved  till  he  becomes  convinced  of  this,  and  falls  down 
helpless  at  the  feet  of  mercy,  and  is  willing  to  accept  of 
salvation  as  a  gift  of  God  through  Christ,  without  any 
respect  to  his  own  deservings.  The  mistake  to  which  I 
here  refer  may  be  made  by  those  who  speculatively 
understand  the  way  of  salvation,  as  well  as  those  who  do 
not ;  and  the  only  means  by  which  it  is  discovered,  is 
faithful  communiijn  with  one's  own  heart.  To  the  duty 
of  self-communion  then,  with  special   reference  to  this 


TEEATMENT  DUE  TO  AWAKENED   SINNERS.        429 

point,   every  inquiring  sinner  should  be  earnestly  ex- 
horted. 

Council  him,  moreover,  to  beware  of  making  comfort 
rather  than  duty  an  ultimate  end.  A  state  of  convic- 
tion IS  a  state  of  anxiety  and  alarm,  and  of  course 
unhappiness.  As  the  sinner,  from  the  very  constitution 
of  his  nature,  desires  happiness,  it  is  not  strange  that  in 
the  agony  of  conviction  he  should  often  fasten  his  eye 
upon  that  as  an  ultimate  object ;  though  nothing  is  more 
certain  than  that,  so  long  as  he  pursues  it  as  such,  true 
reliojious  comfort  will  never  be  attained.  In  doinor  this, 
he  places  himself  before  God  merely  as  a  sufferer  desir- 
ing to  be  relieved  from  distress ;  whereas,  the  attitude 
which  he  ought  to  assume  is  that  of  a  guilty  offender, 
acknowledging  and  forsakins^  his  evil  courses,  and  turningr 
unto  the  Lord.  What  God  requires  of  him  is  the  dis- 
charge of  duty ;  repentence,  faith,  obedience ;  and  in 
this  way  only  has  he  a  right  either  to  seek  or  to  expect 
comfort.  He  is  to  regard  himself  first  as  a  sinner,  and 
then'as  a  sufferer :  if  he  repent  of  his  sins  he. has  reason 
to  expect  relief  from  his  sufferings  ;  but  if  he  hold  fast 
his  sins,  how  much  soever  he  may  supplicate  God's  mercy, 
he  will  either  experience  no  relief,  or  none  which  he 
ought  to  desire.  He  must  understand  that  it  is  the 
economy  of  God's  grace  that  true  Christian  comfort  can 
never  be  gained  except  as  it  is  made  a  secondary  con- 
sideration. He  must  keep  his  eye  constantly  fixed  on 
duty  :  he  must  stir  himself  up  to  do  what  God  requires 
of  him  ;  and  God  will  take  care  that  he  is  no  stranger  to 
the  joys  of  his  salvation. 

It  may  be  well  to  caution  him  also  against  seeking 


430       TEEATMENT  DUE  TO  AWAKENED   SINNERS. 

aid  from  too  many  advisers;    especially  where  their 
religious  views  do  not  harmonize, 

.    I  add,  ouce  more,  that  he  should  be  advised  to  pass 
much  of  his  time  in  the  closet. 

II.  Having  now  marked  out  a  general  course  of  treat- 
ment adapted  to  an  awakened  sinner,  I  proceed,  sec- 
ondly, to  contemplate  some  of  the  great  variety  of  cases 
which  require  more  special  counsel  and  instruction. 

Suppose  the  sinner  says  that,  though  he  is  aware  that 
his  case  is  as  bad  as  you  represent  it,  yet  he  can  do  noth- 
ing to  render  it  any  better^  and  therefore  must  he  con- 
tented to  remain  where  he  is.  You  are  to  endeavor,  in 
the  first  place,  to  convince  him  by  a  direct  appeal  to  his 
conscience,  that  the  inability  under  which  he  labors  is 
nothing^  more  than  a  settled  aversion  of  the  heart  from 
God  ;  and  therefore  is  entirely  without  excuse.  Let  him 
see  that  he  has  all  the  powers  of  a  moiral  agent ;  that  he 
has  a  conscience  to  distinguish  between  right  and  wrong, 
and  a  will  by  which  he  may  choose  the  one  and  refuse 
the  other.  Let  him  see  that  in  withholding  his  heart 
from  God,  he  is  as  free  as  in  any  other  course  of  action  ; 
and  therefore  blameworthy ;  and  therefore  condemned 
in  the  plea  which  he  sets  up  for  doing  nothing. 

But  what  if  he.  should  plead  still  farther,  as  a  ground 
of  argument,  that  many  of  his  friends  who  were  aiuak- 
ened  at  the  same  time  with  himself,  have  apparently 
given  themselves  to  the  Saviour^  rnd  are  rejoicing  in 
hope ;  and  that  hence  he  has  no  reason  to  believe  that 
there  is  any  mercy  for  him — Answer  this  plea  by  show- 
ing that  God  has  given  the  same  powers  of  moral  agency 
to  him  as  to  them ;  that  he  has  made  the  same  gracious 
provision  for  him  as  for  them ;  and  that  in  both  cases 


TEEATMENT  DUE  TO  AWAKENED   SINNERS.       -431 

the  offer  is  equally  free,  equally  sincere.  Remind  him 
that  God  has  no  where  promised  that  he  shall  have  the 
comforts  of  a  good  hope  at  any  particular  time,  but  he 
has  promised  that  they  who  seek  him  in  a  proper  manner 
shall  find ;  and  that  promise  he  will  certainly  fulfil. 

Suppose  the  sinner  should  complain  of  gyeat  insensU 
bility,  and  should  express  an  earnest  desire  that  he  might 
have  more  pungent  convictions — While  you  endeavor  to 
keep  his  thoughts  fastened  upon  those  great  truths  which 
are  most  fitted  to  convince  and  to  dissolve,  such  as  the 
holiness  of  God,  the  perfection  of  his  law,  the  deep  depra- 
vity of  the  heart,  and  the  compassion  aud  grace  of  a  dying 
Saviour,  you  are  to  institute  a  faithful  inquiry  as  to  the 
ground  of  this  desire  ;  and  it  is  not  improbable  that  you 
will  discover  that  its  leadingr  element  is  self- righteous- 
ness ;  that  the  sinner  desires  conviction  because  he 
imagines  that  there  will  be  somethincr  of  merit  in  it,  to 
recommend  him  to  divine  favor.  Let  him  see  that  in 
conviction  he  only  looks  at  himself  as  he  is ;  and  let  his 
own  conscience  decide  whether  there  can  be  any  merit 
in  merely  beholding  his  guilt.  The  man  who  is  con- 
vinced that  his  house  is  on  fire,  and  that  he  shall  be 
burnt  to  death  if  he  remain  in  it,  will  make  a  hasty 
escape ;  and  his  conviction  of  danger  will  have  brought 
him  to  it ;  though  no  one  would  say  that  there  was  any- 
thins;  of  merit  in  that  conviction.  In  like  manner,  the 
sinner  who  is  effectually  convinced  that  he  must  perish 
if  he  remains  impenitent,  and  that  he  can  be  saved  only 
by  the  free  grace  of  God  in  Christ,  actually  throws  him- 
self a  guilty  and  helpless  creature  into  his  Saviour's 
arms ;  and  it  is  the  conviction  he  has  of  his  ruin  that 
leads  him  to  do  this ;  but  will  the  sinner  himself  say 


482        TREATMENT  DUE  TO  AWAKENED   SINNERS. 

tbat  there  is  more  of  merit  in  this  case  than  in  the 
other? 

Suppose  the  sinner  to  be  sinking  down  under  the  huvm 
den  of  his  guilt  into  a  state  of  despair,  with  an  impres- 
sion that  his  sins  have  been  so  aggravated  that  mercy 
cannot  be  extended  to  him — what  you  have  to  do  in  this 
case  is  to  give  him  juster  views  of  the  gospel.  He  has 
particularly  lost  sight  of  the  truth  that  the  blood  of 
Christ  cleanseth  from  all  sin  ;  and  this  is  the  doctrine 
which  you  are  to  hold  up  to  him  in  all  its  extent  and 
glory.  Bring  to  his  mind  God's  own  declarations,  that 
he  is  abie  and  willing  to  save  all  that  come  unto  him ; 
that  whosoever  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting 
life  ;  and  whosoever  will  may  come  and  take  the  water 
of  life  freely. 

Suppose  the  sinner  to  become  impressed  with  the  idea 
that  he  has  had  no  conviction  of  sin,  and  that  all  that 
he  supposed  to  be  conviction  was  delusion ;  when  at  the 
same  time  he  furnishes  the  most  conclusive  evidence 
that  he  is  really  a  subject  of  powerful  divine  operation 
— in  a  case  of  this  kind,  I  would  endeavor  to  convince 
him,  what  is  beyond  all  peradventure  true — that  the 
adversary  is  at  work,  trying  to  drive  away  his  convic- 
tions, by  making  him  believe  that  he  has  none.  I  would 
show  him  how  reasonable  it  were  to  expect  that  it  should 
be  so  ; — that  the  great  enemy  of  all  good  should  be  upon 
the  alert,  in  the  use  of  his  wiles,  when  he  sees  that  he 
is  in  danger  of  losing  one  of  his  subjects.  And  I  would 
refer  to  the  experience  of  many  others,  who  have  passed 
through  similar  trials,  and  who  have  at  length  become 
fully  satisfied  that  they  were  suffering  under  a  delusion, 
which  was  the  effect  of  satanic  influence.     And  when 


TREATMENT  DUE  TO  AWAKENED   SINNERS.       433 

the  point  is  once  gained,  that  the  sinner  really  believes 
that  this  impression  in  respect  to  his  having  no  convic- 
tions is  from  below,  he  is  prepared  to  resign  it,  and  the 
delusion  vanishes. 

Finally,  our  subject  teaches  us  ivhat  are  the,  best  qua" 
lifications  for  directing  and  counselling  awakened 
sinners. 

It  is  essential  that  a  person  who  undertaken  this  office 
should  have  a  q-ood  knowledge  of  God's  w^rd  ;  for  this 
is  the  great  instrument  by  which  the  whole  work  is  to 
be  accomplished.  It  will  not  suffice  that  there  should 
be  a  mere  superficial  acquaintance  with  divine  truth ; 
but  it  should  be  deep  and  thorough  ;  the  doctrines  of  the 
Bible  should  be  understood  in  their  various  bearings  and 
connections.  There  should  also  be  an  intimate  knowl- 
edge of  the  human  heart — the  subject  on  which  this 
work  is  to  be  performed.  There  should  be  an  ability  to 
guide  the  sinner  in  the  work  of  self- examination  ;  to 
ferret  sin  out  from  its  various  lurking  places  ;  to  bring 
principles  and  motives  to  bear  upon  the  various  faculties 
and  affections  of  the  soul,  with  discrimination  and  good 
effect.  In  short,  there  should  be  an  intelligeut  and  de- 
voted piety ;  for  this  secures  a  knowledge  of  divine 
truth  on  tiie  one  hand,  and  an  acquaintance  with  the 
springs  of  human  conduct  on  the  other. 

Go  then.  Christian,  often  into  your  closet,  and  study 
your  own  heart.  Open  God's  blessed  word,  and  apply 
yourself  to  its  precious  truths.  Keep  your  soul  con- 
stantly imbued  with  its  spirit.  Then  the  inquiring 
sinner  may  find  in  you  a  safe  and  skilful  guide,  Then 
you  may  hope  that  God  will  honor  you  as  an  instrument 
of  saving  souls  from  death,  and  hiding  a  multitude  of  sins. 
37 


CHAPTER  LXIT. 

REVIVALS  COJ^TRIBUTE  TO  THE  JOYS  OF  HEAVEN. 

[EXTRACTS.] 

Wm.  B.  Sprague,  D.  D. 

Revivals  irdnister  directly  to  the  joy  of  the  heavenly 
inhabitants. 

The  angels  are  by  no  means  indifferent  spectators 
of  these  scenes.  Our  Saviour  himself  hath  declared 
that  "  there  is  joy  among  the  angels  over  one  sinner 
that  repenteth."  Much  more  then  must  they  rejoice 
when  multitudes  repent  and  believe,  and  have  their 
destiny  for  eternity  reversed. 

But  while  revivals  are  a  source  of  rich  joy  to  the 
angels,  we  may  suppose  that  they  are  so  in  a  still 
higher  degree  to  that  part  of  the  population  of  heav- 
en who  have  washed  their  rohes  and  made  them  ivhite 
in  the  blood  of  the  La^mb.  It  is  with  them,  in  common 
with  angels,  a  reason  for  joy  that,  in  these  triumphs 
of  divine  grace,  they  gain  the  most  glorious  view  of 
the  divine  character ;  and  also  that  they  contemplate 
in  them  a  mighty  addition  to  the  amount  of  human 
happiness. 

Moreover,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  joy 


REVIVALS  CONTRIBUTE  TO  THE  JOYS  OF  HEAVEN.   435 

which  the  redeemed  feel  in  view  of  the  triumph  of 
God's  grace  on  earth,  must  be  heightened  in  many 
cases  by  the  relations  which  they  have  themselves 
sustained  to  those  who  are  the  subjects  of  a  gracious 
renovation.  Suppose  the  glorified  parent  looks  down 
and  sees  the  children  whom  he  left  walking  in  the 
broad  road  to  death,  turning  into  the  path  to  life  and 
setting  their  faces  firmly  towards  heaven  ;  or  suppose 
the  wife  beholds  her  husband,  or  the  sister  her  broth- 
er for  whom  she  had  ofi*ered  a  thousand  prayers  but 
had  died  without  seeing  them  answered,  now  waking 
up  to  a  concern  for  his  salvation,  and  laying  hold  on 
the  hope  set  before  him  in  the  gospel,  and  solemnly 
dedicating  himself  to  the  Lord;  or  suppose  the  faith- 
ful pastor  to  have  gone  down  to  his  grave  mourning 
over  the  obduracy  of  hearts  which  he  could  never 
reach,  and  to  look  down  from  Mount  Zion  above  and 
see  them  pierced  with  conviction,  and  melted  in  pen- 
itence, and  rejoicing  in  hope ;  and  I  ask  you  whether 
you  do  not  believe  that  in  each  of  these  cases,  there 
would  be  a  new  and  deeper  thrill  of  joy  in  the  breast 
of  that  glorified  immortal?  Do  you  not  believe  that 
he  Would  strike  his  harp  to  a  Ijigher  and  nobler  note 
of  thanksgiving,  that  those  whom  he  loved  while  he 
was  on  earth  and  whom  he  still  loves  though  he  is  in 
heaven,  have  not  only  been  redeemed  by  the  blood 
but  renewed  by  the  spirit  of  Christ,  and  are  training 
up  to  be  his  companions  through  ages  of  happiness 
that  will  know  no  end. 

Revivals  tend  to  the  same  grand  result,  hy  increas- 
ing the  number  of  the  heavenly  inhabitants. 

Who  can  estimate  the  number  that  have  already  not 


436   EEVIVALS  CONTEIBUTE  TO  THE  JOYS  OF  HEAVEN. 

only  bad  their  names  written  among  the  redeemed, 
but  have  actually  entered  through  the  gate  into  the 
cit}^  and  taken  up  the  anthems  of  heaven,  who  but 
for  revivals  of  religion  would  have  had  no  part  nor 
lot  in  the  matter?  All  this  countless  multitude  have 
escaped  the  pollution,  and  degradation,  and  wailing  of 
the  pit,  and  have  risen  to  the  purity,  and  glorv,  and 
eci>tacy  of  heaven.  The  day  of  the  resurrection  and 
the  judgment  which,  but  for  the  renovation  they  have 
experienced,  would  have  aw^akened  in  them  nothing 
but  shame  and  agony,  is  a  signal  for  exultation  and 
triumph.  They  walk  in  the  light  of  the  Lamb.  They 
know  how  to  use  angelic  harps.  Tliey  are  kings  and 
priests  unto  God.  They  go  on  from  glory  to  glory, 
constantly  approaching  the  perfection  of  the  Highest, 
while  immortality  endures.  Whose  mind  is  not  lost 
in  coiitemplating  the  amount  of  felicity  which  revi- 
vals will  secure  to  their  subjects  through  all  the  ages 
of  eternity.  Pause  now  for  a  moment  on  the  emi- 
nence to  which  we  are  brought,  and  so  far  as  you 
can,  let  your  eye  take  in  at  a  glance  the  results  of  re- 
vivals, as  they  respect  both  worlds.  Under  their  in- 
fluence see  the  cause  of  moral  renovation  advancing, 
until  this  earth  every  where  brightens  into  a  field  of 
millenial  beauty.  Behold  also  the  inhabitants  of  heav- 
en  kindling  with  higher  raptures  in  view  of  these  won" 
derful  works  of  God  !  Not  t)nly  those  who  have  been 
subjects  of  revivals,  but  those  who  have  not,  not  only 
the  ransomed  of  the  Lord  but  the  principalities  and 
powers  in  heavenly  places,  and  even  Jehovah  who  is 
over  all  blessed  forever,  rejoice,  and  will  eternally  re- 
joice, in   these  triumphs  of  redeeming  grace.     And 


REVIVALS  CONTEIBUTE  TO  THE  JOYS  OF  HEAVEN.   437 

this  joy  and  glory  is  not  only  to  be  perpetual,  but  to 
be  perpetually  progressive.  Say  then  whether  such 
results  will  not  justify  the  church  even  now  in  begin- 
ning her  song  of  triumph?  From  the  most  distant 
point  in  eternity  which  an  angel's  mind  can  reach, 
let  the  church,  when  she  remembers  these  scenes  of 
mercy  through  which  she  is  now  passing,  still  shout 
forth  her  high  praises  in  the  same  noble  song  ;  and 
let  seraphim  and  cherubim,  and  the  whole  angelic 
choir  of  the  third  heavens,  join  to  increase  the  melody  : 
"  Blessing,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  power  be  unto 
him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb, 
forever  and  ever,  Amen  !" 
37* 


CHAPTER  LXV. 
GENUINE    REVIVALS    OF    RELIGION. 

Compiler. 

DEFINITION. 

What  are  genuine  Revivals  ot  religion  ?  They  are 
revivals  of  the  spirit  of  true  piety  and  practical  right- 
eousness in  the  hearts  of  some  of  God's  children.  They 
commonly  result  in  the  conversion  and  reformation  of 
fiinners.  Hence,  the  prayer  of  the  Psalmist, — "  Create 
in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God ;  and  renew  a  right  spirit 
within  me.  Restore  unto  me  the  joy  of  thy  salvation, 
and  uphold  me  with  thy  free  spirit.  Then  will  I  teach 
transgressors  thy  ways,  and  sinners  shall  be  converted 
unto  thee."  And  the  consequence  is  a  religious  reforma- 
tion in  the  church,  and  a  marked  improvement  in  the 
private  and  public  morals  of  our  community. 

As  true  religion  consists  in  loving  arid  obeying  God, 
its  genuine  revival  in  a  church  and  congregation  consists 
in  an  increased  degree  of  zeal  and  activity  in  this  ser- 
vice, on  the  part  of  a  considerable  number  of  christians, 
and  the  multiplied  conversion  of  sinners  occurring  about 
the  same  ^ime.  And  it  seems  desirable  that  such  an 
improved  condition  should  be  perpetual  and  become  the 
normal  state  of  the  church.     But  such  a  state  has  never 


GENDINE  REVIVALS   OF  RELIGION.  439 

yet  been  realized  for  any  very  protracted  period  of  time. 
Declensions  too  frequently  occur  and  often  continue 
through  many  years  of  comparatively  little  life  and  pro- 
gress on  the  part  of,  by  far  too  many  professing  Chris- 
tians. Then  God  again  interposes  by  the  special  out. 
poring  of  His  Spirit  in  answer  to  pra.yevj  and  produces 
through  human  agency  a  religious  excitement,  and 
attention  to  eternal  realities  of  more  controling  power 
than  the  mere  worldly  excitements  by  which  the  people 
are  surrounded.  But  while  excitements  are  not  always 
revivals,  there  are  no  revivals  without  excitements. 

Hence  the  churches  have  always  been  distinsjuished 
for  special  manifestations  of  grace  at  special  times.  As 
Prof.  Park  observes  :  "  The  rain  does  not  fall  every  day, 
nor  the  snow  descend  every  month,  seed  time  and  har- 
vest, summer  and  winter  run  tlieir  alternate  rounds,  and 
in  our  spiritual  world  there  has  been  a  like  succession  of 
influences.  At  one  time  the  whole  community  are 
aroused  to  religious  thought,  the  conscience  of  multitudes 
is  quickened  to  a  new  remorse,  their  foars  are  impelling 
them  to  rush  together  for  the  narrow  path.  It  has  been 
said  that  these  reasons  of  special  excitement  may  be 
protracted  through  life.  But  they  would  not  be  special. 
Then  they  could  not  be  awakening  processes.  It  is  not 
in  human  nature  to  endure  a  loner  continued  aLatation 
of  those  sensibilities  which  are  prominent  in  the  simulta- 
neous rousing  of  an  entire  parish  to  the  work  of  pressing 
sinners  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

There  need  be  no  inequality  between  the  degree  of 
holiness  exercised  during  a  religious  awakening,  and  the 
degree  put  forth  when  there  is  no  concentrated  attention 
of  multitudes  on  the  one  query  :  *  What  must  we  do  to 


440  GENUINE  REVIVALS   OF  RELIGION. 

be  saved  ] '  But  there  should  be  variety  in  the  mode  of 
manifesting  that  unchanged  degree  of  holiness.  As  the 
farmer  will  not  plant  in  v^rinter,  nor  reap  in  spring  time, 
nor  always  busy  himself  in  breaking  up  the  fallow  ground 
but  must  sometimes  lift  up  the  axerupon  the  thick  trees, 
and  sometimes  gently  train  the  vine  upon  the  trellis  and 
sometimes  may  sit  down  in  the  cool  of  the  evening,  and 
enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  toil,  and  regale  himself  with  the 
freshness  of  the  new  mown  hay ;  so  the  spiritual  bus- 
bandman  may  be  equally  faithful  in  his  Service  while  he 
varieo;ates  the  method  of  it." 

While,  therefore,  some  may  mistake  in  maintaining 
that  it  is  both  practicable  and  expedient  for  all  Chris- 
tians to  live  constantly  in  an  exalted  state  of  religious 
fervor,  it  seems  to  ns  that  they  should  constantly  grow 
in  grace,  and  be  "  always  abounding  in  the  work  of  the 
Lord,  knowing  that  their  labour  is  not  in  vain  in  the 
Lord."  It  may  seem  very  desirable  to  us  that  we  should 
always  enjoy  physicial  health.  But  if,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  we  fall  sick,  it  is  reasonable  that  we  seek  earnestly 
speedy  restoration.  And  if  Christians  backslide,  and  lose 
in  any.measure  their  first  love,  they  are  bound  to  return 
immediately  for  restoration  to  the  Shepherd  and  Bishop 

of  their  souls. 

MEANS. 

Let  us  therefore  inquire  what  are  the  means  to  he 
employed  in  promoting  genuine  revivals  of  religion  ? 

Some  consider  that  these  works  of  divine  grace  are 
nearly  analagous  to  miracles,  and  are  occasionally  pro- 
duced at  remote  periods  from  each  other,  by  a  species  of 
independent  and  arbitrary  sovereignty f  with  little  or  no 
hum/in  agency  or  special  responsihility.      Regarding 


GENUINE  EEVIVALS   OF  RELIGION.  441 

them  tbe  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  beyond  human  power 
with  God  aud  with  men  to  secure  them  by  working  in 
harmony  with  established  and  permanent  Divine  laws, 
thnnigh  defiui;;e  channels  and  appvi^i^riate  prayer  and 
effcnis.  • 

But  those  who  are  the  most  successful  in  efforts  for 
promoting  revivals,  commonly  hold  that  they  are  in  a 
most  rational  and  reasonable  sense  under  the  reoula- 
tion  and  ccmtrol  of  the  law  of  causae  and  effect  in  the 
kingdom  of  divine  grace.  They  maintain  that  the  work 
of  reviving  grace  in  the  hearts  of  Christians,  may  be  se- 
cured and  the  graces  and  fruits  of  the  Spirit  may  be 
developed  by  obedience  to  definite  and  established  dis^ine 
laws. 

And  with  the  proper  employment  of  appropriate 
means  of  divine  ordination,  the  special  gifts  of  the 
Spirit  are  to  be  as  definitely  and  reasonably  expected 
under  earneor  prayerfuhiess  and  rirht  culture  as  the 
fruits  of  the  soil. 

The  wnrk  of  God  in  revivals  and  its  results  are  com. 
patible  with  His  system  of  moral  laws  aud  are  produc- 
ible by  takmg  advantage  of  these  laws.  God  in  His 
righteous  omcI  reasonable  sovereignty  has  ordained  that 
man^s  agency  -hall  be  essential  in  promoting  true  revi. 
vals  of  religion  by  obedience  to  His  laws. 

Therefore,  revivals,  at  appropriate  seasons,  and  under 
favorable  circumstances,  with  appropriate  and  judicious 
means,  are  as  sure  to  follow  as  an  abundant  harvest  is 
with  good  husbandry,  when  God  sends  the  sunshine  and 
rains  of  heaven. 

Hence,  (as  Pres.  Finney  has  observed)  "  the  connec 
tion  between  the  right  use  of  means  for  a  revival,  and 


442  GENUINE   REVIVALS   OF   RELIGION. 

a  revival,  is  as  philosophically  sure  as  between  the  right 
use  of  rnean=^,  to  raise  grain  and  a  crop  of  wheat.  I 
believe,  in  fact,  it  is  more  certain,  and  that  there  are 
fewer  instances  of  failure.  The  effect  is  more  certain 
to  follow.  Probably  the  law  conneciing  cause  and  effect 
is  more  undeviating  in  spiritual  than  in  natural  things, 
and  so  there  are  fewer  exceptions.  The  paramount  im- 
portance of  spiritual  things  makes  it  reasonable  that  it 
should  be  so. 

Take  the  Bible,  the  nature  of  the  case,"  and  the  his- 
tory of  the  Church,,  all  together,  and  you  will  find  fewer 
failures  in  the  use  of  means  for  a  revival,  than  in  farm- 
ing, or  any  other  wordly  business.  In  worldly  busmess 
there  are  sometimes  cases  where  counteracting  causes 
annihilate  all  that  a  man  can  do. 

In  raising  grain,  for  instance,  there  are  cases  which 
are  beyond  the  control  of  man,  such  as  droughts,  hard 
winter,  worms  and  so  on.  So  in  laboring  to  promote  a 
revival,  there  may  many  things  occur  to  counteract  it, 
something  or  other  turning  up  to  divert  the  public  atten- 
tion from  religion,  which  may  baffle  every  effort. 

But  I  believe  there  are  fewer  cases  of  failure  in  the 
moral  than  in  the  natural  world.  I  believe  a  minister 
or  any  other  Christian  may  enter  on  the  work  of  promo- 
ting a  revival,  with  as  reasonable  expectation  of  success, 
as  he  can  enter  on  any  other  work  with  an  expectation 
of  success,  with  the  same  expectation  as  the  farmer  has 
of  a  crop  when  he  sows  his  grain  " 

Therefore,  a  genuine  revival  of  religion  must  be  pro- 
moted  by  the  right  use  of  appropriate  means.  "The 
means  which  God  has  enjoined  for  the  production  of  a 
revival,  doubtless,  have  a  natural  and  gracious  tendency 


GENUINE   EEVIVALS  OF  EELIGION.  443 

to  pro  luce  a  revival.  Otherwise  God  would  not  have 
enjoined  them.  But  means  will  not  produce  a  revival, 
we  all  know,  without  the  blessing  of  God.  It  is  impossi- 
ble, also,  for  grain  when  it  is  sowed,  to  produce  a  crop, 
without  the  blessing  of  God.  It  is  unreasonablt^fcr  us 
to  say  that  there  is  not  as  direct  an  influence  or  agency 
from  God  to  produce  a  crop  of  grain,  as  there  is  to  pro- 
duce a  revival.  What  are  the  laws  of  nature,  according 
to  which,  it  is  supposed  the  grain  yields  a  crop  ?  They 
are  nothing  but  the  constituted  manner  of  the  opera- 
tions of  God.  In  the  Bible,  the  word  of  God  is  com- 
pared  to  grain,  and  preaching  is  compared  to  sowing  seed, 
and  the  results  to  the  springing  up  and  growth  of  the 
crop.  And  the  result  is  just  as  philosophical  in  the  one 
case  as  in  the  other,  and  is  as  naturally  connected  with 
the  cause." 

Now,  if  such  are  the  facts  in  the  judgment  of  those 
who  have  had  the  largest  experience  in  religious  revivals, 
how  great  must  be  the  mistake,  if  not  aggravating  guilt 
of  that  lar^e  class  of  ministers  and  churches,  who  througrh 
the  influence  of  a  false  theory  concerning  divine  SoV' 
ereigiity,  labor  on. from  year  to  year,  sowing  and  cultiva- 
ting the  spiritual  vineyard,  with  comparatively  no  special 
concerted  efforts  in  the  pulpit  or  congregation  at  any 
period  of  the  year,  to  revive  christians  or  gather  into 
the  kingdom  of  the  Lord  a  harvest  of  souls  ! 

As  there  is  commonly,  some  degree  of  revival  interest 
in  the  churches  about  the  beginning  of  the  year — during 
the  week  of  prayer,  if  it  should  he  attended  by  apprOm 
priate  preaching  and  holy  living  on  the  part  of  minis- 
ters and  private  christians,  is  it  not  reasonable  to  expect 


444  GENUINE  REVIVALS  OF  RELIGION. 

that  God  would  add  unto  the  churches  many  more 
precious  souls  ? 

Under  such  hopeful  circumstances  it  is  probcible  that 
the  intellio-ent  and  devoted  friends  of  true  reli<j:ion  sel- 
dom  or  never  pass  through  a  more  melancholy  experi- 
ence, than  w.hen,  as^it  too  frequently  occurs,  that  after 
God  has  revived  his  work  in  their  hearts  in  some  meas- 
ure, and  they  intensely  yearn -for  the  salvation  of  winners, 
for  the  want  of  appropriate  pungent  revival  preaching 
the  period  is  suffered  to  pass  with  very  few  ur  no  con- 
versions from  the  world  of  perishing  sinners. 

0,  hoiv  greatj'then,  must  he  the  responsibility  of  the 
ministry,  luho  do  nut  arouse  themselves  ami  make  spec- 
ial  'efforts,  and  with  definite  and  prayerful  aim^  so 
preachy  as  to  justify  the  rational  expectation  tJiat  God 
will  give  special  efficacy  to  the  preached  ivord.  Through 
such  neglect  may  not  souls  perish  for  whom  Christ  died? 
And  may  not  the  blood  of  souls  at  the  last  great  day, 
be  required  at  the  watchman's  hand  ? 

In  what  estimate  would  the  conduct  of  the  asfricultur- 
ist  be  held,  who  should  steadily  and  industriousFy  plow 
and  sow  his  fields  and  cultivate  his  crops  from  year  to 
year,  and  when  the  period  for  the  autumnal  harvests 
should  arrive,  should  unaJce  no  special  and  cJianged  ef- 
forts to  gather  the  crops,  \.intil  the  ripened  grain  in  large 
portions  should  fall  back  again,  to  be  buried  in  the 
earth  or  be  rotted  by  the  wintry  storms  ? 

Would  not  his  unreasonable  and  ung^rateful  conduct 
justify  his  friends  and  neighbors  in  leaving  hitn  to  beg 
in  harvest  and  have  nothincr  ? 

Is  there  not  a  striking  analogy  between  the  laws 
which  govern  the  labors  of  the  husbandman-  in  agricul- 


GENUINE   EEVIVALS  OF  RELIGION.  445 

ture  and  those  which   control  the  ministers  of  Christ  in 
their  spiritual  husbandry  ? 

And  if  God,  upon  whom  the  former  depends  for  fertile 
soil  and  warm  seasons,  with  rain  and  sunshine,  holds 
him  responsible  for  making  special  and  appropriate 
efforts  for  harvesting  in  autumn,  will  He  not  require  the 
ministers  of  Christ  to  give  an  account  for  the  souls 
whom  they  might  have  saved  by  special  efforts  in  re- 
vivals ? 

If  this  be  so,  it  certainly  seems  reasonable  that  while 
all  Christians  are  bound  to  live  habitually  in  a  state  of 
complete  consecration^  as  they  commonly  do  not,  but,  al« 
most  imperceptibly  to  themselves,  it  may  be,  decline 
into  a  state  of  lessened  sensibility  on  the  subject  of  re- 
ligion, the  ndnister  and  more  devoted  and  intelligent 
niemhers  of  the  church  are  under  special  obligations  to 
lead  in  seeking  a  refreshing  upon  their  oivn  souls, 
"  For  unto  whomsoever  much  is  given,  of  him  shall 
much  be  required." 

And  at  the  same  time,  the  more  indifferent  and  back- 
slidden members  of  the  church  may  be  expected  to  fol- 
low in  the  work  of  revival,  in  proportion  to  their  capa- 
bilities in  their  ready  perception  of  truth  and  capacities 
to  realize  obligation.  "  For  he  that  knew  not,  and  did 
commit  things  worthy  of  stripes,  shall  be  beaten  with 
few  stripes." 

And  the  practical  question  may  still  press  right  here, 

koiv  shall  Christians  seek  a  revival  in  their  oivn  hearts, 

as  a  personal  and  immediate  duty  and  privilege?     God 

has  given  an  inspired  answer — an  infallible  prescription, 

which   never  fails  :     "  Break  up  your   fallow  ground  ; 
38 


446  GENtJINE   REVIVALS   OF   RELIGIOK. 

for  it  is  time   to   seek  the   Lord   till   he  come  and  rain 
righteousness  upon  you." 

By  this  we  understand,  "  break  up  your  hearts — pre- 
pare your  minds  to  bring  forth  fruit  unto  God."  But 
how  is  this  to  be  done  ?  each  individual  may  ask  as  a 
personal  matter.  Certainly  it  cannot  be  done  by  mak- 
ing direct  efforts  to  increase  religious  feeling.  For  the 
emotions  are  involuntary,  and  not  under  the  direct  and 
immediate  control  of  the  will.  But  we  may  excite  them 
by  indirect  and  voluntary  efforts  in  harmony  with  the 
fixed  laws  of  the  mind. 

And  in  beginning  the  work  of  revival  in  our  hearts, 
our  sense  of  dependence  must  lead  us  to  importunate 
and  extraordinary  prayer,  in  the  closet,  in  the  family, 
and  conference  meeting.  "  For  with  God  is  the  residue 
of  the  spirit."  But  it  must  not  be  formal  and  indiffer- 
ent prayer.  God  says  :  "  Ye  ask  and  receive  not,  be- 
cause ye  ask  amiss.' '  There  are  faults  in  prayer  which 
prevent  its  efficacy.  Such  as  a  feeble  sense  of  want,  or 
praying  in  advance  of  our  re  d  desires,  or  without  a  fixed 
determination  to  att  in  such  a  way  as  shall  be  adapted 
to  answer  our  own  prayers  to  the  extent  of  our  ability, 
or  we  may  have  wrong  ends  in  view  in  our  requests. 
The  motive  may  be  selfish,  and  not  for  the  glory  of  God  ; 
or  we  may  not  sufficiently  ^appreciate  the  efficacy  of 
Christ's  name  in  prayer ;  or  there  may  be  a  deficiency 
of  faith.  For  "  without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please 
God."  "  For  let  not  that  man  think  that  he  shall  re- 
ceive anything  of  the  Lord." 

Really  efficacious  prayer  for  revival  must  he  the 
'prayer  of  faith.  And  this  must  be  indited  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  and  His  prevailing  intercessions. 


GENUINE  REVIVALS  OF  RELIGION.  447 

**  Believers,"  (says  Dr.  Griffin)  "  are  called  the  temple 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  He  is  represented  as  seated  in  that 
temple  and  praying  for  them,  and  God,  as  He  comes 
down  to  examine  the  heart,  is  represented  as  hearing 
and  understanding^  this  intercession." 

*^  The  spirit  also  helpeth  our  infirmities,  for  we  know 
not  what  to  pray  for  as  we  ought ;  but  the  spirit  itself 
maketh  intercession  for  the  saints  accordinor  to  the  will 
of  God."  In  such  prayer  there  will  be  earnest  desire, 
submission,  dependence,  dilligent  use  of  means,  humility, 
perseverance,  and  such  trustful  expectancy  as  shall  pre- 
vail with  God  in  securing  revivals  in  the  hearts  of 
Christians, 

And  then,  if  we  expect  God  to  ansiver  our  earnest 
prayers,  we  must  employ  reasonable  human  tncans  to 
secure  the  blessing.  We  must,  by  self-eooamination  and 
meditation,  make  our  mAnds  deeply  feel  on  the  subject 
of  religion.  If  we  contemplate  the  character  of  God  as 
a  gracious  and  holy  being,  and  think  of  Christ's  love 
manifested,  in  our  redemption,  and  think  of  the  per- 
suasive strivings  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  our  regeneration 
and  sanctification,  our  hearts  must  melt  in  penitence 
and  love.  Thus  if  we  are  indeed  Christians,  by  perse- 
verance in  this  course,  we  shall  as  certainly  increase 
our  feelings  on  the  subject  of  religion  as  we  shall  revive 
and  increase  the  emotion  of  love  and  earnest  regard  for 
our  dearest  earthly  firiends,  by  meditating  on  their  excel- 
lencies, and  recounting  with  gratitude  their  many  deeds 
of  lovinor  kindness  towards  us. 

Hence,  in  beginning  to  labor  for  a  special  work  of 
grace,  when  the  providence  and  grace  of  God  indicates 
that  the  "  set  time  to  favor  zion  has  come,"  the  minister 


448  GENUINE   EEVIVALS  OF  RELIGION. 

should  obviously  begin  with  his  own  heart  and  the  hearts 
of  professing  Christians. 

And  in  preaching  he  should  labor  specifically  to  bring 
the  Church  by  the  blessing  of  God  under  conviction^  and 
secure  their  hearty  confession  and  penitence.  At  such 
times  it  is  profitable  to  publicly  and  unitedly  renew 
their  church  covenant. 

In  doing  this  he  may  point  out  the  sins  of  ingratitude, 
want  of  love  to  God  and  the  brethren,  neglect  of  the 
Bible,  distrust  and  unbelief,  neglect  of  prayer  and  other 
means  of  trrace,  neglect  in  warnincr  sinners  to  "  flee  from 
the  wrath  to  come,"  neglect  of  watchfulness  over  them* 
selves  and  their  brethren,  as  well  as  common  neglect  of 
self  denial  and  faithfulness  in  the  service  of  the  Lord, 
and  too  prevalent  worldly  mindedness  and  impatience. 

For  "  the  friendship  of  the  world  is  enmity  with  God." 
But  ministers  who  anxiously  desire  a  special  tvo^^Jc  of 
grace  may  earnestly  inquire  what  subjects  and  texts 
have  been  found  by  repeated  experience  to  signally  fav  r 
a  revival  among  Christians  ?  What  truths  should  be 
specially  emphasized  to  revive  Christians  ?  I  reply,  such 
as  are  calcuhited  to  urge  them  to  thorough  self-exami- 
nation, in  reference  to  consistent  Christian  character  and 
show  them  their  sins  of  omission  as  well  as  .commission. 

And  such  as  urge  them  to  increased  prayerful ness, 
entire  consecration,  and  active  personal  efforts.  Such 
texts  as  the  following,  in  about  the  same  order,  when 
ap}tropriately  and  legitimately  treated,  have  frequently 
produced  great  results,  by  preaching  them  in  alternate 
order,  one  a  day,  to  each  class  of  saints  and  sinners. 

*'Say  ye  to  the  righteous  it  shall  be  well  with  him,"  etc. 
"  Woe  to  the  wicked  it  shall  be  ill  with  him,"  etc.    Show- 


GENUINE  REVIVALS   OF  RELIGION,  449 

iDg  the  radical,  pliilosopbical  and  scriptural  distinction 
between  the  most  defective  of  real  Christians,  and  the 
best  of  impenitent  sinners,  showing  that  the  former  avm 
supremely  to  please  God,  while  the  latter  seek  habitu- 
ally the  gratification  of  their  own  natural  desires. 

"  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord."  "  Take  up  the 
stumbling  blocks  out  of  the  way."  "  Where  art  thou  ?  " 
■•*  Whosoever  he  be  of  you  that  forsaketh  not  all  that  he 
hath,"  etc.  "  Wilt  thou  not  revive  us  again,"  etc. 
*'  Restore  unto  me  the  joy  of  thy  salvation,"  etc.  "  Bring 
ye  all  the  tithes  unto  the  store  house,"  etc.  "  If  my  people 
which  are  called  by  my  name,"  etc.  "  The  backslider 
in  heart,"  etc.  "  Break  up  your  fallow  ground,"  etc. 
"Awake,  awake,  put  on  thy  strength  O  Zion,"  etc. 
**  Ye  shall  receive  power  after  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is 
come  upon  you,"  etc,  "  All  things  whatsoever  ye  shall 
ask  in  prayer  believing  ye  shall  receive."  "  The  people 
had  a  mind  to  work."  "  He  that  converteth  a  sinner 
from  the  error  of  his  way,"  etc.  "They  that  be  wise 
shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament,  and 
they  that  turn  many  to  righteousness  as  the  stars  for- 
ever and  ever."  "  Be  filled  with  the  spirit,"  etc.  "  If  two 
of  you  shall  agree,"  etc  "  Ye  are  my  witnesses,"  etc. 
^'He  that  winneth  souls  is  wise."  "  Aaron  and  Hurr," 
etc. 

But  the  'practical  question  may  here  arise^  what  truths 
ought  to  he  specially  errophasized  in  order  to  aivaken  the 
impenitent  ? 

It  has  been  found  by  experience  to  be  expedient  to 

preach  in  a  practical  way  on  the   moral   attributes  of 

Grod,  "  the  purity  and  perfection  of  his  law,  with   its 

endless  penalty,  the  entire  native  depravity  of  the  human 

38* 


450  GENUINE  REVIVALS  OF  RELIGION. 

heart,  in  its  destitution  of  holiness  and  voluntary  neglect 
of  God's  service ;  the  sufficieDcy  of  the  atonement  of 
Christ ;  the  freeness  of  the  offer  of  pardon  to  all,  on 
condition  of  faith  and  repentance  ;  the  necessity  of  a 
voluntary  and  radical  change  of  heart  and  life,  by  the 
Holy  Ghost ;  the  utter  inexcusibleness  of  sinners  in 
neglecting  the  free  offers  of  mercy,  and  the  duty  and 
reasonableness  of  immediate  and  unconditional  submis- 
sion to  God,  and  the  permanent  choice  of  his  service 
through  life,  and  throughout  eternity." 

Sinners  should  he  convicted  of  guilt  and  awful  de- 
pravity before  presenting  to  them  the  justice  and  fearful, 
ness  of  their  future  doom  and  misery. 

Therefore,  they  should  be  shown  the  holiness  of  God, 
and  the  infinite  evil  of  sin  ;  the  spirituality  and  search- 
inof  claims  of  the  divine  law. 

After  showincr  them  the  moral  vileness  of  the'  human 
heart,  they  may  be  alarmed  by  showing  them  the  misery 
that  awaits  them  on  earth  and  in  eternity,  and  the  limi- 
tations of  the  day  of  grace. 

Then  it  is  expedient  to  exhibit  the  freeness  of  salvation 
through  Christ,  with  the  pathetic  exhortations  and  invi- 
tations  of  the  Gospel.  And  all  excuses  must  be  swept 
away  by  the  truth. 

In  awakening  and  convicting  sinners  therefore,  it  is 
commonly  found  expedient  to  preach  on  such  texts  as 
the  following :  "  Be  troubled  ye  careless  ones."  "  Ye  do 
always  resist  the  Holy  Ghost,"  etc.  "  There  is  no  hope.'* 
•'  Have  me  excused."  '*  Except  a  man  be  born  again," 
etc.  "  Make  you  a  new  heart,"  etc.  "  That  sin  by  the 
commandment,"  etc.  Explain  the  ten  commandments, 
and   apply   them   to   the   thoughts  and  intents   of  the 


GENUINE  EEVIVALS  OF  RELIGION.  451 

heart.  "  Except  ye  repent,"  etc.  "  By  the  deeds  of  the 
law,"  etc.  "  Being  justified  by  faith,"  etc.  "Of  sin 
because  ye  believe  not  on  me,"  etc.  "  What  must  I  do 
to  be  saved  ?  "  "  The  wages  of  sin  is  death."  "  He 
that  is  unjust  let  him  be  unjust  still,"  etc.  "  Marvel  not  at 
this,"  etc.  "  Prepare  to  meet  thy  God."  "  Go  ihy  way 
for  tjhe  time,"  etc.  "  In  thy  presence  is  fullness  of  joy," 
etc.  "  These  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  punish, 
ment."  "  Secret  faults,"  etc.  "  His  thoughts  troubled 
him,"  etc.  "  He  that  covereth  his  sins,"  etc.  "  God  so 
loved  the  world,"  etc.  "  Choose  ye  this  day  whom  ye 
will  serve,"  etc.  "  Son  remember,"  etc.  "  Go  thy  way," 
etc.  "  Woe  also  to  them  when  I  depart  from  them." 
"  How  long  halt  ye,"  etc.  "  He  that  being  often 
reproved,"  etc.  "  Why  should  the  work  cease."  *'  The 
harvest  is  past,"  etc.  "  The  Lord  added  to  the  Church, 
daily,"  etc.  "The  door  was  shut,"  etc.  "Examine 
yourselves,"  etc.  "  What  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do?" 
"  Whosoever  therefore  shall  confess  me,"  etc.  "  Go 
work  to-day,"  etc.  "  Let  us  not  be  weary  in  well  doing," 
etc.  "  My  spirit  shall  not  always  strive,"  etc.  "The 
heart  is  deceitful,"  etc.  "  It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall," 
etc.  "  Who  hath  warned  you,"  etc.  "  Because  I  have 
called,"  etc.  "  To.day  after  so  long  a  time,"  etc. 
**  What  shall  it  profit,"  etc.  "  Seek  ye  the  Lord  while 
he  may  be  found,"  etc.  "  How  shall  we  escape,"  etc. 
"  Ho  !  every  one  that  thirsteth,"  etc.  "  What  more  could 
I  have  done,"  etc.  "  I  will  have  mercy  on  whom  I  will 
have  mercy,"  etc.  "  I  was  alive  without  the  law  once," 
etc.  "Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  etc.  "Be 
ye  steadfast,"  etc.  "  He  that  endureth  unto  the  end," 
etc.     "  Feed  my  Lambs,"  etc. 


452  GENUINE  REVIVALS  OP  RELIGION. 

But  do  any  iuquire  what  additional  means  may  be 
wisely  employed  beside  appropriate  subjects  and  texts 
and  appropriate  preaching. 

INQUIRY  MEETINGS. 

I  reply :  Inquiry  meetings  especially,  properly  con- 
ducted, are  very  favorable  opportunities  for  persuading 
anxious  and  seriously  minded  sinners  to  decide  immedi- 
ately to  begin  the  service  of  God  by  prayer  and  holy 
living.  If  the  numbers  are  large,  the  anxious  may  be 
invited  to  rise  in  the  Church  or  Lecture  room.  But  if 
the  numbers  are  few  who  attend,  at  the  minister's  home 
or  in  any  private  residence,  it  may  be  well  for  them  to 
be  seated  around  the  parlor  table,  and  begin  by  singing 
an  appropriate  hymn.  Then  all  may  be  requested  to 
kneel  wliile  the  minister  leads  them  in  praying  for  a 
special  blessing  and  guidance  in  entering  the  path  of 
eternal  life.  Then  it  may  be  profitable  to  read  sespon- 
sively  such  appropriate  Scriptures  as  the  51st  Psalm, 
the  15th  of  Luke,  the  2d  of  Acts,  or  the  2d  of  Romans ; 
with  such  brief  and  practical  comments  as  shall  have 
direct  reference  to  the  instruction  and  guidance  of  the 
anxious  enquirers  for  salvation.  At  the  close  all  should 
kneel  and  be  urged  to  offer  oral  jprayer  for  themselves, 
even  if  they  can  say  nothing  more  than  "  God  be  merci- 
ful to  me,  a  sinner,  for  Christ's  sake ;  "  or  the  Lord's 
prayer. 

On  such  occasions  their  sins  of  omission  as  well  as 
commission  should  be  explained  and  enforced  with  great 
plainness  as  well  as  directness,  and  practical  and  obedi- 
ent trust  in  Christ  as  their  only  and  all  sufficient 
Saviour,  should  be  urged  upon  them,  while  they  abandon 


GENUINE  REVIVALS  OF  RELIGION.  453 

entirely  all  reliance  upon  their  oivn  Tnorality  and  trust 
in  their  good  works  for  either  justification  or  sanctification. 
If  they  fear  to  begin  God's  service,  lest  they  fail  to 
persevere,  they  should  be  shown  that  in  trusting  to  the 
help  of  divine  grace  in  Christ  Jesus,  he  is  pledged  to 
keep  them  from  falling,  and  bring  them  safely  to  his 
heavenly  kingdom. 

MEASURES. 

In  the  minister's  earnest  desire  for  the  progress  of  a 
genuine  work  of  divine  grace,  he  will  break  loose,  when 
it  shall  seem  expedient  to  some  extent,  from  the  old 
established  methods  of  saving  men,  and  exercise  a  more 
practical  faith  in  devising  new  plans  and  experiments 
for  doing  good.  He  will  be  a  bold  operator  in  relio^ious 
work.  His  faith  in  God's  readiness  to  bless  new  means, 
will  lead  him  to  push  out  new  lines  to  secure  increased 
attention,  to  rouse  the  church,  and  to  awaken  careless 
sinners. 

Jehovah  encourages  new  and  special  efforts.  He 
says :  "  Prove  me  and  see  if  I  will  not  pour  you  out  a 
blessing."  etc.  "  Put  me  to  the  test  and  see  the  results." 
He  has  delighted  in  the  practical  faith  of  his  people  not 
only  in  prayer,  but  in  the  diligent  use  of  appropriate 
means. 

'J'herefore,  we  should  cherish  a  faith  with  unfettered 
wings,  not  a  faith  limited,  bound  hand  and  foot  in  the 
stocks  of  established  and  ordinary  means.  We  must 
not  hesitate  to  try  new  measures  which  appear  promis- 
ing. We  must  use.  sanctified  ingenuity  and  good  sense 
in  devising  new  plans,  v/hile  we  use  as  far  as  expedient 
our  old  ways. 


454  GENUINE   REVIVALS   OF  RELIGION. 

Let  us  give  practical  heed  to  siicli  earnest  suggestions 
as  the  following,  from  Rev.  S,  R.  Dennen,  a  successful 
preacher  and  laborer  in  the  revivals.     He  inquires : — 

"  How^,  for  instance,  shall  I  reach  and  win  to  Christ 
such  a  person  ?  I  study  my  subject ;  he  or  she  may  be 
reticent  and  shy,  or  open  and  accessible.  I  become 
familiar  with  temperament ;  the  best  time  and  way  of 
approach  ;  I  pick  up  some  thread  of  personal  experience 
or  family  history ;  I  reach  out  now  on  this  side,  now  on 
that,  in  tentative  experiments,  praying  that  the  Spirit 
may  accept  and  bless  some  of  them.  I  reach  that  soul, 
and  all  heaven  breaks  forth  into  strains  of  joy ;  some 
one  of  my  lines  hooks  the  fish.  Suppose  I  put  out  only 
the  regulation  line  of  God's  sovereignity  and  established 
means,  should  I  have  landed  my  game  ?  Perhaps  so  ; 
perhaps  not.  I  use  regular  means  ;  but  others  also.  I 
cast  the  net  on  both  sides  of  the  boat." 

The  prayer-meeting  is  in  the  ruts  ;  no  unusual  thing ; 
smitten  with  chronic  dullness  ;  prayers  long  and  wander- 
ing and  prosy  ;  singing  nasal  and  twangy  ;  same  routine, 
prayer,  singing.  Scripture,  a  whole  chapter  ;  exhortation 
by  leader ;  remarks,  prayers  and  pauses  by  brethren ; 
benediction  ;  dispersion.  The  young  are  not  there  ;  the 
sounds  are  too  doleful.  The  church  are  not  there  for 
the  same  reason. 

How  shall  it  be  raised  to  newness  of  life  and  freshness 
of  power  ?  Try  experiments ;  have  variety,  spring, 
sparkle.  Mix  things  ;  now  a  praise-meeting,  now  a 
promise-meeting,  now  both  in  one.  Have  topic>',  discuss 
them  ;  a  Bible  service  in  which  all  shall  join  ;  bring 
along  some  passage  on  which  your  owq  soul  has  feasted, 
talk   about  it;    come  full  of  enthusiasm  for  whatever 


GENUINE    REVIVALS   OF  RELIGION.  455 

means- is  to  be  tried,  never  criticising  measures,  and  you 
will  find  the  conference  room  a  very  Bethel.  The  prac- 
tical value  is  this  :  you  offer  the  Spirit  a  variety  of  means 
to  use  and  energize.  You  give  scope  and  range  to  the 
Blessed  Comforter,  and  a  pleasant  variety  to  different 
minds. 

The  same  may  be'  said  of  the  Sabbath  school  and  Sab- 
bath service.  We  should  resort  to  Bunyan's  tactics — 
take  the  ear-gate  first,  then,  pressing  in  through  this, 
storm  the  citadel. 

Our  churches  have- lost  power,  lost  their  hold  of  the 
masses,  by  our  regulation  style  of  work  and  worship.  It 
seems  to  me  often  to  amount  to  this :  a  manifesto  to  the 
Spirit,  if  He  is  pleased  to  bless  in  a  certain  way  and  by 
time-honored  means,  we  welcome  His  presence ;  other- 
wise we  must  forego  His  visit.  Times,  people,  themes, 
habits,  vary.  What  avails  now,  fails  sometime  hence. 
Methods  that  succeed  in  one  revival,  fail  in  another,  in 
the  same  place  and  among  the  same  people. 

To  go  on  in  the  same  way  year  after  year  in  the  work 
of  savinor  men,  using:  the  same  means,  is  like  sailino^  a 
ship  with  just  so  much  canvas,  blow  high  or  low,  steering 
her  the  same  way  from  whichever  quarter  the  wind  may 
chance  to  blow,  ahead  or  astern.  Oh  for  the  versatility 
and  D-ood  sense  in  laborincr  for  the  kinojdon  of  Christ 
which  men  show  in  secular  affairs.  This  certainly  is 
possible  and  practical ;  and  this  I  suggest  to  use  in 
Christ's  service  ;  such  a  variety  of  means  have  so  much 
flexibility  and  life ;  so  much  that  is  solidly  and  vari- 
antly  attractive  ;  so  much  .the  Spirit  can  energize ;  so 
many  channels  all  open  along  which  His  converting 
grace  may  descend  upon  our  churches ;  that  we  shall 


456  GENUINE  REVIVALS  OF  RELIGION. 

not  fail  the  cominof  season  to  secure  more  and  more 
powerful  revivals,  and  reap  a  richer,  broader  harvest  of 
precious  souls.     This  will  we  do,  God  helping  us. 

PERIODS   FOR   A   SERIES   OF  RELIGIOUS   MEETINGS. 

In  the  beginning  of  every  year  let  special  efforts  be 
made  to  promote  a  harvest  season  of  souls.  Have  we 
reason  to  apprehend  that  about  all  the  year  is  commonly 
spent  in  sowing  and  cultivating  the  crop  in  the  moral 
viDeyard  of  the  Lord,  with  comparatively  but  little  very 
direct  aud  specific  measures  for  gatheiing  in  the  harvest 
any  more  at  one  season  than  another. 

But  oidinarily  I  apprehend  that  the  winter  season  in 
connection  with  the  observance  of  the  week  of  prayer  in 
the  beginning  of  the  year,  a  protracted  meeting  of  several 
days  duration  may  wisely  be  appointed  for  appropriate 
revival  preaching,  with  other  direct  and  specific  efforts 
for  gathering  in  a  harvest  of  souls.  For  while  Christians 
give  themselves  to  earnest  and  importunate  prayer,  and' 
puDgeDt  and  personal  exhortation,  if  the  attendance  and 
continued  attention  of  the  impenitent  can  be  secured 
for  a  few  days  to  pungent  revival  preaching,  they  must 
be  converted  in  great  numbers,  by  "the  Holy  Ghost  sent 
down  from  heaven." 

Whild  spring  and  summer  may  be  favorable  for  sow- 
ing and  cultivating  a  crop,  doubtless  faithful  efforts  may 
be  expected  to  be  blessed  of  heaven  in  gathering  in 
occasional  sheaves,  and  sometimes  many.  The  autumn 
and  winter  are,  in  the  nature  and  peculiarity  of  the 
seasons,  more  favorable  periods  for  protracted  meetings 
and  larger  harvests,  by  God's  good 'providence,  as  well 
as  by  his  special  grace. 


GENUINE    REVIVALS   OF  RELIGION.  457 

It  is  for  the  want  of  more  earnest  and  protracted  con- 
sideration  on  the  subject  of  religion  that  Christians 
backslide,  and  sinners  remain  careless.  But  the  invigo- 
rating influence  of  the  winter  season,  is  favorable  for 
securing  their  continuous  attention  during  a  protracted 
meetinor  so  as  to  secure  a  revival. 

Hence  it  is  obvious  that  ministers  and  churches  who 
appreciate  genuine  revivals  as  the  richest  of  heaven^ s  bless- 
ings, and  as  indispensihle  to  the  'preservation  of  our 
nation  and  the  conversion  of  the  world,  should  avail 
themselves  of  the  most^  favorable  periods  and  circum- 
stances for  making  special  efforts  for  their  promotion, 
knowing  that  God  hath  "  !^et  times  to  favor  Zion,  when 
He  will  arise  and  have  mercy  upon  her  and  make  her 
fruitful  in  every  good  work." 

In  anticipation  of  a  series  of  daily  and  evening  meet- 
ings, it  is  commonly  expedient  for  the  minister  to  preach    . 
on  the  nature,  history,  importance,  and  means  of  promo- 
ting true  revivals  of  relig^ion. 

And  also  on  God's  moral  attributes  and  the  moral 
evidences  for  the  truth  of  his  inspired  word,  and  the 
duty  and  method  of  preparing  the  way  of  the  Lord. 

And,  during  the  week  of  daily  meetings.  Christians 
should  not  only  lay  aside  as  far  as  practicable  their  orcZi- 
Tiary  business  ;  but  they  should  engage  in  thorough 
religious  visitation  from  house  to  house  during  the 
forenoons  of  each  day ;  but  attend  the  meetings  regu- 
la.rly  in  the  afternoons  and  evenings. 

In  the  afternoons  it  may  be  expedient  for  the  minis- 
ter to  preach,  as  I  have  before  stated,  on  such  subjects 
as  backsliding,  worldliness,  self  examination,  entire  con- 
secration, sanctification,  the  prayer  of  faith,  and  personal 
39 


458  GENUINE   EEVIVALS  OF  KELIGION. 

efforts  for  the  conversion  of  sinners.  In  the  evening,  on 
preparation  to  meet  God,  on  the  new  birth,  on  the  great 
sinfulness  of  impenitent  sinners,  and  on  endless  punish- 
ment ;  on  Heaven,  and  qualifications  for  admission  there, 
on  the  atonement  and  justification  by  faith,  on  quench- 
ing the  spirit  the  prodigal  son,  confessing  Christ  before 
men,  and  procrastiuation.  Then  seek  for  the  immediate 
results  of  each  sermon  at  the  close,  and  God  will  revive 
his  work. 

HOW   SHALL    THE    INFLUENCE    OF   A    EEVIVAL   BE 

PERPETUATED  ? 

And  in  order  to  secure  the  most  effective  snad  perTYianent 
results  of  our  direct  preaching,  in  promoting  the  revival 
by  the  regular  services  of  the  sanctuary,  we  should  seek 
for  the  culmination  of  its  power  by  announcing  the  se- 
lect scriptural  passages  beforehand,  to  be  read  in  the 
week-day  evening  meetings  for  conference  and  prayer, 
and  thai  the  passages  for  prayer  meetings  on  sabbath 
evenings,  when  such  meetings  are  held  on  that  evening, 
will  be  the  texts  and  their  contexts,  so  that  the  lay- 
brethren  may  enforce  in  their  familiar  and  direct  way, 
the  great  truths  they  have  recently  heard  from  the  pul- 
pit. And  in  the  judicious  use  of  such  means,  the  min- 
ister will  have  his  own  faith  strengthened.  He  will  have 
stronger  confidence  in  the  efiicacy  of  divine  truth  and  in 
God's  promises  and  intention  to  give  it  efiicacy  in  saving 
perishing  men. 

He  will  not  only  have  increasing  reasons  to  expect 
success,  but  such  expectation  is  essential  to  the  best  and 
most  effective  results.  It  will  influence  his  choice  of 
appropriate  texts  and  the  preparation  of  his  sermons. 


GENUINE  REVIVALS  OF  RELIGION.  459 

In  aiming  at  and  expecting  to  make  decided  impres- 
sion, he  will  carefully  consider  the  character  and  con- 
ditions of  his  hearers,  and  will  seek  to  adapt  means  to 
that  end.  The  expectation  of  success  will  also  have  a 
powerful  influence  upon  the  delivery  of  a  discourse  and 
render  him  peculiarly  vsympathetic,  tender  and  earnest. 
Will  he  not  naturally  throw  his  whole  soul  into  it,  and 
compel  his  hearers  to  feel  that  he  feels  himself  speaking 
to  immortal  beings,  in  view  of  judgment  and  eternity. 
In  using  such  appropriate  and  prayerful  application  of 
divine  truth,  he  will  expect  God's  blessing.  For  he 
hath  said  :  "  He  that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth,  bearing 
precious  seed,  shall  doubtless  come  again  with  rejoicing, 
bringing  his  sheaves  with  him."  Knowing  God's  readi- 
ness  to  bless,  if  the  work  does  not  progress,  he  will 
seek  to  remove  the  hindrances  in  his  own  heart,  and  in- 
quire of  his  people  for  the  stumbling  blocks,  lest  any 
perish  for  whom  Christ  died,  lest  any  wicked  man, 
through  his  neglect  or  unfaithfulness,  die  in  his  iniquity 
and  his,  blood  be  required  at  the  watchman's  hand. 

FINAL   APPEAL  TO  MINISTERS. 

Is  it  not  for  the  want  of  a  deeper  sense  of  ministerial 
responsibility  for  the  salvation  of  perishing  souls  and  for 
the  want  of  more  earnest  and  direct  appeals  in  warning 
men  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,  that  such  wide 
spread  apathy  prevails  among  the  people,  on  the  subject 
of  true  religion,  for  a  series  of  years  as  the  rule  and 
revivals  occur  only  occasionaly  as  an  exception. 

The  impenitent  who  are  "  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins," 
relieve  themselves  of  a  sense  of  ouilt  and  danger  with 
the   inquiry  :    "  Who  is  the  Almighty  that  we  should 


460  *     GENUINE   EEVIVALS   OP  EELIGION. 

serve  him  ?  and  what  profit  shall  we  have  if  we  pray 
unto  him  ?  " 

Professors  of  religion  excuse  their  backsliding  and  de- 
clension, as  well  as  neglect  of  growth  in  grace  and  per- 
sonal sanctification,  with  the  plea  of  worldly  care,  and 
their  encouraging  hope  of  heaven,  which  may  prove 
spurious  when  God  shall  try  the  hearts  of  men. 

And  may  not  the  ministry  be  in  danger  of  exhonera- 
ting  themselves  to  an  alarming  degree,  from  a  realizing 
sense  of  their  responsibility  in  awakening  and  saving 
their  hearers  with  the  plea  that  "with  God  is  the  residue  of 
the  spirit,  and  it  is  his  prerogative  to  regenerate  the  heart. 
And  thus  they  may  fail  to  realize  the  great  and  indis- 
pensable importance  of  appropriate  human  agency,  and 
the  truth  that,  "  He  which  converteth  the  sinner  from 
the  error  of  his  way,  shall  save  a  soul  from  death."  If 
this  be  so,  does  it  not  follow  as  Pres.  Davies  has  said, 
that  "ministers  should  preach  as  in  the  sight  of  God,  as  if 
they  were  to  step  from  the  pulpit  to  the  supreme  tribu- 
nal," 

Certainly  they  should  deeply  feel  their  subject.  They 
should  "  melt  with  emotion  and  tears,  or  shudder  with 
horror  when  faithfulness  constrains  them  to  denounce 
*'  the  terrors  of  the  Lord,"  "  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb." 

They  should  "  gL)W  and  melt  with  sacred  ecstacies, 
when  the  love  of  Jesus  and  the  way  of  salvation  is  the 
theme  of  pathetic  entreaty. 

"They  shovilcl  preach  as  if  they  ne'er  should  preach  again, 
And  as  dying  men  to  dying  men." 

Should  not  the  ministry  of  our  times,  in  these  days 
"  of  the  right  hand  of  the  Most  High/'  be  stimulated  to 


GENUINE  REVIVALS   OF  RELIGION.  461 

greater  earnestness  and  fidelity  in  preaching,  by  the 
eloquent  appeals  of  the  sainted  Griffin,  whose  labors 
were  crowned  with  genuine,  powei'ful  and  numerous 
revivals  of  true  religion,  through  a  long  and  successful 
life  in  saving  souls  ? 

"  How  soon  my  brethren,"  said  this  •minent  minister 
of  Christ,  "  will  the  amazing  reality  of  the  judgment 
and  eternity  break  upon  our  unearthly  vision,  and  fill 
us  with  ecstacy  or  despair ! 

"  I  cast  my  thoughts  forward  but  a  little,  and  behold 
the  dead  are  rising,  the  elements  melting,  saints  rejoic- 
ing, devils  trembling.  The  Judge  appears  upon  the 
great  white  throne.  In  a  moment,  in  the  twinkling  of 
an  eye,  we  are  before  the  judgment  seat  with  our  respec- 
tive flocks.  The  faithful  and  the  unfaithful  shepherds 
of  every  age  are  there.  The  trial  proceeds,  the  books 
are  closed,  the  final  sentence  is  pronounced.  The  heavens 
are  opened,  and  the  pit  yawns,  the  eternal  song  and  the 
eternal  wail  are  both  begun.  0  !  may  we  then  rise,  to 
shine  with  a  great  multitude,  saved  through  our  unworthy 
instrumentality,  to  shine  with  them,  as  the  brightness  of 
the  firmament,  as  the  stars  forever  and  ever." 
39* 


THE    STARLESS    CROWN. 


"  That  they  turn  many  to  righteousness  shall  shine  as  the  stars  for  ev. 
ef  and  ever."— Daniel  xii.  3. 


Wearied  and  worn  with  earthly  cares,  I  yielded  to  repose, 

And,  soon  before  my  raptured  sight,  a  glorious  vision  rose : 

I  thought,  whilst  slumbering  on  my  couch,  in  midnight's  solemn 
gloomy 

I  heard  an  angeFs  silvery  voice,  and  radience  filled  my  room. 
A  gentle  touch  awaken'd  me, — a  gentle  whisper  said, 
"  Arise,  O  sleeper,  follow  me  ;"  and  through  the  air  we  fled: 
We  left  the  earth,  so  far  away  that  like  a  speck  it  seem'd. 
And  heavenly   glory,   calm    and  pure,    across   our    pathway 

streamed. 
Still  on  we  went, — my  soul  was  wrapped  in  silent  ecstacy ; 

I  wondered  what  the  end  would  be,  what  next  should  meet 

mine  eye. 
I  knew  not  how  we  journeyed  through  the  pathless  fields   of 

light. 
When  suddenly  a  change  was  wrought,   and  I  was  clothed  in 

white. 
We  stood  before  a  city's  walls  most  glorious  to  behold ; 
We   passed  through  gates   of  glistening  pearl,  o'er  streets  of 

purest  gold  ; 
It  needed  not  the  sun  by  day,  the  silver  moon  by  night ; 
The  glory  of  the  Lord  was  there,  the  Lamb  himself  its  light. 


THE  STARLESS   CROWN.  463 

Bright  angels  paced  the  shinmg  streets,  sweet  music  filled  the 
air, 

And  white-robed  saints  with  glittering  crowns,  from  every 
clime  were  there ; 

And  some  that  I  had  loved  on  earth  stood  with  them  round  the 
throne. 

**  All  worthy  is  the  Lamb,"  they  sang,  "  the  glory  his  alone/' 

But  fairer  far  than  all  beside,  I  saw  my  Saviour's  face ; 

And  as  I  gazed  he  smiled  on  me  with  wondrous  love  and  grace. 

Lowly  I  bowed  before  his  throne,  o'erjoyed  that  I  at  last 

Had  gained  the  object  of  my  hopes;  that  earth  at  length   was 
past, 

And  then  in  solemn  tones  he  said,  "  where  is  the  diadem 

That  ought  to  sparkle  on  thy  brow — adorned  with  many  a  gem  ? 

I  know  thou  hast  believed  on  me,  and  life  through  me  is  thine, 

But  where  are  all  those  radiant  stars  that  in  thy  crown  should 
shine  ? 

Yonder  thou  seest  a  glorious  throng,  and  stars  on  every  brow ! 

For  every,  soul  they  led  -to  me  they  wear  a  jeivel  now  ! 

And  such  ^%  bright  reward  had  been  if  such  had  been  thy  deed 

If  thou  hadst  sought  some  wand'ring  feet  in  path  of  peace  to 
lead. 

I  did  not  mean  that  thou  should'st  tread  the  way  of  life  alone, 

But  that  the  clear  and  shining  light  which  round  thy  footsteps 
shone, 

Should  guide  some  other  weary  feet  to  my  bright  home  of  rest. 

And  thus,  in  blessing  those  aroujid,  thou  hadst  thyself  been  blest. "^^ 


The  vision  faded  fi'om  my  sight,  the  voice  no  longer  spake, 

A  spell  seemed  brooding  o'er  my  soul  which  long  I  feared  to 
break, 


464  THE   STABLESS   CROWN. 

And  when  at  last  I  gazed   around  in  morning's  glimmering 
light. 

My  spirit  fell  overwhelmed  beneath  that  vision's  awful  might. 

I  rose  and  wept  with  chastened  joy  that  yet  I  dwelt  below, 

That  yet  another  hour  was  mine  my  faith  by  works  to  show ; 

That  yet  some  sinner  I  might  tell  of  Jesus'  dying  love, 

And  help  to  lead  some  weary  soul  to  seek  a  home  above. 

And  now,  while  on  the  earth  I  stay,  my  motto  this  shall  be, 

"  To  live  no  longer  to  myself,  butliim  who  died  for  me!" 

And  graven  on  my  inmost  soul  this  word  of  truth  divine, 

"  They  that  turn  many  to  the  Lord,  brigJd  as  Hie  stars  shall 
shine.''' 


iK 


-../-  ''■' 


Note.— For  furtlier  excellent  Instnictions  on  this  subject,  the  reader  ia 
referred  to  Finney's  Autohiography  and  Lectures,  SpragTie,  KLrk,  and  Flab 
on  Revivals, 


'nil  I  III    li*'rrl'"i'?^i'  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1         1 


012  01113  8841 


